Green and Crisp - Comfort Bhindi

Sometimes there is a fun and interest to participating in a food blog event, even if it involves writing or working with something that is a household staple. The kids and Anshul love Bhindi or Okra. So I have to get this all year round, even when the pods are not so impressive like the ones adjacent.

Anyhow, Pooja of Creative Pooja, hosts a weekly event where she features a vegetable a week. This week it was Bhindi, hey even Anshul was excited, since it spurred me to try something new. Actually I altered a Thai inspired recipe and was quite pleased with the results and tried this with a new chutney.

This is what I did,

Spicy Batter Fried Bhindi with a Lime-Tomato chutney

Bhindi

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients

1 inch piece ginger

2 red chillies

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 tsp cumin seeds

1.5 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk

3/4 cup rice flour

Oil for Frying

1/2 lb bhindi tops and tips removed

Method of Preparation

1. Blend the ginger, chillies, cilantro, cumin, salt and buttermilk into a smooth paste.

2. Mix in the rice flour and let this sit for a while (about 10 minutes)

3. Heat the oil.

4. Dip pieces of the bhindi into the batter and fry on medium heat till golden.

5. Serve Hot.

Tomato-Lime Chutney.

2 tomatoes

6 dates pitted

1 cup water

1/3 cup jaggery

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chilli powder

1 lime

Method of Preparation

1. Grind the tomatoes, dates and water into a puree.

2. Place in a saucepan with the jaggery, salt and chilli powder.

3. Cook for 15 - 20 min.

4. Squeeze the lime juice onto the chutney.

5. Cool and serve.