Bhinda Bateta nu shaak(Okra potatoes vegetable)

This is such a simple vegetable, and so damn yummy!! Especially with yogurt and rotli, it tastes so good! It has always been my brother and my favorite vegetable, and as kids, we would fight over the burnt pieces of bhinda! That was the best part about bhinda! ;)

Bhinda or Okra or Lady fingers :), can NEVER be washed directly under water! The best way is to take a wet paper towel, and clean individually to remove the dirt! Yea tedious for sure, but the end result is awesome ! ;) That's what keeps me going in cleaning it;)

Once that is done, cut the top and bottom of each bhinda. Then start chopping them horizontally into small pieces.

Another TIP while picking bhinda, that my mom had mentioned is that while picking bhinda in the grocery store, take each one in the hand, and snap the end of it with your thumb. If it cracks easily, its good! Another tedious job. LOL, well bhinda sounds like a very tedious vegetable to eat, but as I said, you will NOT regret the effort !! :) I used to go grocery shopping with my mom, and I would observe her, smelling fruits, cracking the ends of bhindas, and various other quarks;)! I get it all now!!

Ingredients:
2 pounds bhinda
2 small potatoes, peeled and diced into cubes
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
pinch of asafoetida
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 tablespoon ginger garlic chilli paste
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder(more if you like it spicy!:) )
3/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
salt to taste
1/2 tomato diced into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon sugar! (I am gujarati after all!;) )
cilantro to garnish

Method:

Firstly, microwave the diced potatoes for about 2 minutes. They will be soft.

In a saucepan, put oil on medium heat. After 2 minutes, put in the potatoes, and fry them till they brown up a bit. Add in the asafoetida, mustard seeds and cumin seeds until they start splattering. Then add in the ginger garlic chilli paste. Saute it for about a minute or two. Then add in the cut okra, and saute it. You MAY need to ad in a little more oil to get them to crisp up! Add in all the remaining spices, like turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder and salt and saute it. Let it cook and crisp up. DO NOT saute it too often else it will become mushy! Add in the tomatoes after about 15 minutes.

This may take about 1/2 hour to cook up completely, in total. But ITS WORTH it! ;) add in the sugar and saute it. Add in the cilantro on the top as garnish. Ready to eat with rotlis and yogurt! YUM! :)

To make it punjabi style, I add in about 1/2 an onion, thinly sliced, when adding in the ginger garlic chilli paste and wait for the onions to become pinkish. It gives a great taste!