Okra Stir Fry

Those of you who know me, know I have a bit of an obsession with Indian food.  I know I'm so pale I'm practically see-through, but I'm pretty sure I actually WAS Indian in a past life.  I mean that would explain the fact that I can't go into an Indian restaurant without scarfing down enough food to make up for the fact that my very white parents had neglected to serve curry on a regular basis for my entire childhood.  One of my favorite dishes is Bhindi Masala, basically okra cooked in spices - though please don't depend on me for any literal translations.

I don't know why, but despite my love for it I have been a bit hesitant to delve into the world of Indian cooking.  I think the number of spices can be a little overwhelming, not to mention expensive if they're not already stocked in your pantry.

However, now that I'm a grown-up married person and I have an impressive collection of spices, I no longer have any excuses.  So here goes, my first attempt at a Bhindi dish, from Curry Bible.

Ingredients

• 280g/10oz Okra
• 1 red pepper
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (I just used a bit less ground cumin)
• 3 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp garam masala

Slice off the tops of the okra, and then chop into bite-sized pieces.  

Slice the red pepper, and dice the onions.

Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat, and when hot add the mustard seeds and cumin.  Remove from the heat and add the garlic, stirring for about a minute until it's lightly browned.

Then add the okra, red pepper, and onion, increase the heat to medium-high and stir fry for two minutes.  Add the chilli powder and salt, and stir-fry for three more minutes.  Add the garam masala for stir-fry for one minute.  Remove from the heat and serve with rice.

This was SO easy.  I don't think I followed the instructions minute to minute perfectly, but it still turned out delicious.  The spices gave it a nice smokey flavor, and it was so colorful.  As a bonus - I think it's quite healthy!

While I don't think this will stop my all too frequent Indian deliveries, I think it could put a nice dent in them and add a little something to my cooking repertoire.