Besan-Wali Bhindi (Lady’s Finger in Spiced Gram Flour).

“Besan-Wali Bhindi (Lady’s Finger in Spiced Gram Flour)” … bhendi never tasted better than these … came across tender- tasty gavti bhendi (lady’s finger from village) a few days back, these are available in plenty during monsoon and have a unique taste of their own … here is a simple side dish that tastes awesome with roti/ poori … don’t be put off with the cooking time this recipe needs, it needs to be cooked on low heat for best in taste … Yummilicious …

** Bhendi (Bhenda/ Lady’s Finger/ Bendekayi) is a favorite among most of us though some do not like it for its sticky nature when being cooked. However if prepared properly following a few tips then it turns out excellent and sure to be loved by all. There are plenty of dishes that can be prepared using it though simple upkari/ bhaji and chakko a dry masala curry is our favourtie at home. Today I am sharing a recipe which is simple to prepare but needs some extra time to cook to perfection.

** You can adjust the spices and include any curry masala powder if desired too as for this recipe I have just mixed all the ingredients with the cut bhendi pieces and then fried them on low heat for a good 20 minutes and it tastes simply wonderful served with poories, though you can serve them with roti too. There are plenty of gavti/ village side bhendi/ lady’s finger available during monsoon that taste excellent. So, the next time you wonder what else to try out with bhendi, try this one out and enjoy it with family.

** Here is my simple recipe for “Besan-Wali Bhindi (Lady’s Finger in Spiced Gram Flour)” … my style, try it, tastes excellent ….

** Wash and let drain well about 20 large sized Bhendi (Bhenda/ Lady’s Finger/ Bendekayi). Pat it dry with a kitchen towel to remove excess water if any. Now trim off both the side edge portions and then cut them into roundels/ rings of about ¼ inch in size. Keep this ready aside while we prepare the masala powder.

** In a large sized bowl add in 3-4 tblsp besan (chane peeta/ Bengal gram flour), 2-3 tsp kashmiri red chilly powder (mirchi powder/ mirsangi pitti), 1 tsp malwani or any other masala powder, ¼ tsp of haldi (turmeric) powder, 1 tsp rice flour (tandla pitti/ tandul chi atta), 1 tsp amchur (raw mango) powder, ¼ tsp garam masala powder, salt (namak/ meeta) to taste and mix well.

** Note : I have kept this dish enough spiced according to my family taste. You can increase the addition of chilly powder if need be. You can add in any curry masala powder of your choice too if desired, it tastes great.

** Now add in the cut bhendi pieces into the bowl along with 1 tsp of edible oil (tel/ tela) and mix all together until all spices have coat the bhendi pieces well. Sprinkle some water say about 2-3 tblsp and once again mix all the ingredients well. The final texture should be slightly sticky masala coating the bhendi pieces.

** Heat 2-3 tblsp of edible oil (tel/ tela) in a thick bottomed kadai/ pan, when hot add ½ tsp of hing (asafoetida) powder, a large pinch of kashmiri chilly powder (mirch powder/ mirchi tikkat) and fry for a few seconds. Now add in the prepared and kept masala coated bhendi pieces and mix all together well.

** Cook all ingredients on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring well to avoid masala being burnt or stuck to the bottom. Now lower the heat to minimum, once again mix well, sprinkle some water, cover with a tight lid and cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes stirring often and sprinkling more water if found necessary.

** Note : This is a dry masala as you can check out the picture posted with the masalas coating the bhendi pieces, so be very careful with addition of water lest the masala will turn softer and the texture may turn like gravy. Also, keep in mind to cook on low heat for a good 20 minutes stirring often for best results.

** For Tempering/ Seasoning/ Tadka/ Pannaka : Heat 1 tblsp of edible oil (tel/ tela), when hot add 1 tsp of mustard seeds (rai/ sasam), when they begin to splutter add 8-10 fresh curry leaves (kadipatta/ karbevu) and fry for a few seconds. Remove and pour this over the bhendi being cooked and mix well.

** After tempering check and sprinkle water only if you find the bhindi too dry or sticking to the bottom of the pan. Mix well, cover and continue cooking them for another 3-4 minutes till well roasted and done. Do be careful with addition of water and always sprinkle whenever necessary only or the taste is lost.

** Remove a single bhendi piece and check to make sure that it is fried crisp and well done along with the besan mixture before removing from heat, if not continue cooking for few more minutes or till done. When the bhaji is cooked and done SERVE IT HOT IMMEDIATELY TO AVOID THE DISH TURNING LIMP if left to rest.

** “Besan-Wali Bhindi (Lady’s Finger in Spiced Gram Flour)” is done and ready to be served. Tastes best served hot immediately with poori/ roti or any other  accompaniment of your choice. I served it with poori along with mango srikhand and we loved the combo very much. Do try it and relish with your family and friends. Children are sure to love the combo very much, as they are fond of bhendi.

** There are a variety of delicious easy to prepare dishes included in the blog. You can access them using search option or the label section on the left side of the Blog. Do try out various types of dishes included in the Blog and enjoy them with your family and friends and give me a feedback if possible. I am sure your family will love them, they are all tried and tested in my kitchen … Thank You ….