Bharwa(Stuffed) Bhindi – Okras stuffed with coconut, mango powder and spices

So Bhindi is every amateur chef’s worst nightmare. Perhaps the thought of this dish also makes you recoil for the many times it has been served to you slimy. Bhindi, lady finger or okra as it is called requires the chef’s patience but the end results are fantastic.

Here are a few tips for this dish

1. Separate the bhindi according to its size so that when you cook them in the pan you cook them according to the same size and they cook evenly.

2. Wash the bhindi the night before and then wipe them. Let them sit out on the kitchen counter overnight. If you don’t have the luxury to do this then simply wipe the dry before use but make sure they are dry.

3. Make sure you have a large flat bottom nonstick pan for this dish.

4. While frying, ensure that the bhindi sit on the pan and not one over the other. Don’t over stuff your pan.

5. I have used onion powder and garlic powder. If you don’t have this in dry form (which is easy to make at home) then mince the two together and I mean mince it. Fresh onions also lend a nice sweetness to the dish

6. I have used coconut powder but this dish tastes equally good with desiccated coconut

7. You need aamchur for this dish if not use dried pomegranate seeds as a souring agent but you can’t skip the souring agent. Souring agents also help prevent the bhindi from going slimy.

8. If you are using only dry ingredients for the stuffing then you can make it and store it for as long as you like.

9. Finally make sure your pan and the oil in it are super-hot when adding the bhindi and then follow the instructions given in the method