Bhindi(Oakra) Ki Sabjii

Directions

1. 1.Before starting to cook, prepare the vegetable.
2. The list of ingredients mentions that the ladies fingers must be washed and dried. This is important.
3. You will not enjoy cutting wet bhindis and also, they will take longer to cook and turn out mushy and messy.
4. So either wash them and leave them to dry in a colander under a fan or if you are in a hurry, wash them and gently wipe dry before cutting them.
5. To cut, first from the whole lot of vegetable, cut off the top bit of the stem and a tiny portion from the bottom.
6. After that, you can take 5-6 bhindis together, lay them on the chopping board and cut them into small pieces.
7. Keep aside.
8. Heat the oil.
9. Drop in the cumin.
10. Let it turn a shade darker.
11. Drop in the turmeric, chilli and coriander.
12. Fry a few seconds.
13. Add the onion.
14. Fry for 2 minutes. It should turn just transparent, not brown.
15. Add the vegetable.
16. Stir to bring the spices and onions up to the top.
17. On medium heat, without covering, cook the vegetable for 15-20 minutes.
18. At the end of this time, you will notice that the stickiness that was earlier there when stirred is practically gone and the vegetable is a little more than half-cooked.
19. Add the salt and pepper, cover the pan, put the tava underneath it and cook another 6 minutes.
20. Now check that the vegetable is done.
21. Add the mango powder, stir in and keep on the fire another 2 minutes You may omit the onions altogether, add whole button ones or add the same sliced onions along with the salt.
22. They will be crunchier at the end.