Bhinda Sambhariya | Okra In Gujarati Spices

Bhinda Sambhariya – A traditional Gujarati dish prepared with tender okras stuffed with typical Gujarati spices – ginger green chili paste, sesame-tinged coconut and coriander cumin seeds powder.

It’s been my long desire to prepare a North Indian Thali for Amma when she visits me. Since I bought Gujarati Cookbook by Tarla Dalal, I have never tried cooking any recipe from the book. Finally, the perfect day has come. Everyone in the family loves okras and Bhindi Sambhariya appeared as an irresistible concoction of okras and spices. When I read the book, I observed that Gujarati dishes use ginger –green chili paste for the spiciness. Their dishes are so simple and prepared effortlessly without much pre-preparation. And Amma loved these okras stuffed with an exciting sesame-tinged coconut and coriander mixture, and perfectly cooked in its own juice.

For the best flavor, select small and tender okras. Let the okras cook in typical Gujarati spices. Now, to the recipe. Recipe is adapted from the cookbook – Gujarati Cookbook by Tarla Dalal

Ingredients:

2 cups Ladies Finger (Okras)
¼ cup Oil
½ teaspoon Asafoetida
Spice Mixture:
6 tablespoon Grated Coconut
6 tablespoon Chopped Coriander
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Ginger-Green Chilli paste
1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
2 teaspoon Coriander Cumin Seeds Powder
1 teaspoon Garam Masala
1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
2 tablespoon Oil
Salt, as required.

Method:

Wash the okras and allow it to dry completely. Cut the ladies finger into medium sized pieces (2 inches); Slit the okras lengthwise carefully as the segments should not separate.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients mentioned under the spices mixture and mix them together.
Fill each okra with little of the prepared filling mentioned in the previous step.
Keep aside and fill the remaining okras with the spice mixture.
In a non-stick Kadai, add oil and heat over medium flame. Add asafoetida.
Now, add the stuffed okras to the pan and gently mix them.
Cover the kadai with a lid and cook on medium flame for about 20-25 minutes, until the ladies finger is cooked. Ensure to stir them occasionally. Ensure the okras are not overcooked.
The okras should be tender and crunchy at the same time and juicy. Serve hot with rice and Kadhi.