Guest post series: Bhenda Sasam ( Crispy Okra in a spiced yogurt sauce) by Sushma Mallya

The month of April is extra-special! It is my birthday month! This week is my birthday-week! Guess how I am celebrating??

 I am going away on a vacation next week since we are having Spring Break! Yay!! I am also celebrating my birthday by starting " the guest post series" which I have been planning for a while now! I am so happy that it is finally coming to fruition! As part of this series, you will be seeing healthy, quick and easy recipes from a variety of food bloggers: some new and some who are already established! It is going to be a nice mix! The guest post will be featured every Friday of the month. They will be accompanying me to many parties! It is going to be so much fun!! I am so excited!!

If you are interested in writing a guest post for my blog: Su's Healthy Living, please reach out to me at sushealthyliving@gmail.com. The criteria for the recipe is that it has to be healthy, quick and easy to make!! That's not too much to ask is it??;)

I am beginning this series with a guest post from a very good friend from the blogging world: Sushma Mallya! She blogs from Authentic Food Delights. She is one of the nicest, unassuming people that I have met in the blogging world. Believe it or not she has had her blog for 8 years now! Way before all the rat race that is going on today! She is a mother of two beautiful boys. Her blog started as a way to document all the recipes that she learnt from her mother, mother-in-law and friends. When she is not churning up delicious dishes in her kitchen, she immerses herself in her other passion, which is painting and sketching! Her creativity and artistry is evident in her food photography! Her blog has a myriad of recipes, mostly traditional Konkani recipes and a few fusion recipes. She has been residing in UK for the past 13 years. Do check out her blog  Authentic Food Delights for more amazing recipes.

Today she is sharing with us a recipe that she learnt from her mother: Benda Sasam ( crispy okra in a yogurt-based sauce). This is a very quick and easy recipe that is healthy too!  This dish brings along a variety of textures and flavors with crispy okra in a delicious spiced yogurt sauce.

Servings: 3-4 people

Ingredients

10-12 ladies finger (bhindi) (cut into thin slices )

2 tbsp cooking oil

For Masala

1/2 cup freshly grated coconut 

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 green chilli (adjust according to your spice level)

1/4 cup Thick curd /yogurt 

salt to taste

For tempering /tadka

1 tsp ghee + 1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Jeera

1/4 tsp urad dal

1 red chilli broken into bits 

1 sprig of curry leaves 

Method 

• Wash Bhindi and pat it dry . Cut Bhindi into thin slices and keep aside. Then take a non stick pan add oil then add ladies finger and fry till v crisp on a low heat and keep aside. ( This can be made well ahead of time and mixed at the time of serving).

• Grind coconut, green chilles, mustard seeds,  yogurt and grind to a fine paste. Add water to thin it to the desired consistency.
• Take it out in a container. keep aside.

• Now Prepare the tadka ; Heat a non stick pan add in ghee and little oil then add in mustard seeds. Jeera, Urad dal, when it starts spluttering add red chilli, fry add in curry leaves.
• Pour this tempering /tadka over the ground paste (NOTE: There is no heating in this type of curry ).

• Add in fried bhindi at the time of serving (so that it stays crisp). Then serve it Garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves . Done it's awesome with Rice ...YUMM !

I am bringing this lovely dish of Sushma's for all my friends to try, at Throwback Thursday#35, Fiesta Friday#116 and Saucy Saturdays! Angie's co-hosts this week are Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju and Cynthia @ eatmunchlove.

Please do share your thoughts. Your opinion matters!

Bhenda Sagle ( Okra/ ladies finger in spicy coconut sauce); Meatless Monday.

The amazing thing about Indian cuisine is the endless amount of meatless options! This is because majority of Indians don't eat red meat and most are vegetarians. Indian cuisine and culture is the perfect proof for the fact that people can survive and lead a full and healthy life by following a plant-based diet.

Okra is a favorite vegetable amongst Indians too. Where I come from which is Southern India, okra is long, around 10-12 cms. It is also lighter green in color and is never tough.I became familiar with the short okra only after leaving my hometown. Okra is known as Ladies finger in India. In Hindi language it is known a "Bhendi ". While there are several ways okra is prepared in India, the traditional way of preparing in the konkani community is by cooking it in a spicy coconut-based sauce. This dish is known as "Bhenda Sagle " and is a popular dish in the konkani community. It is not too spicy, has the flavors of coriander seeds and is gentle on the stomach. It goes great with any kind of rice. Last but not the least, it is quick, simple and easy to make.

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

Okra/ ladies finger/bhendi: 250 gms or 8 oz
Freshly grated coconut: 2 cups
Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp
Dried red chillies: 3-4
Tamarind: marble-sized piece.
Water: 2 cups
Coconut Oil: 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste.

For tempering:
Coconut oil: 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Method:

 

Roast the coriander seeds with 1/2 tsp oil until aromatic. Add the red chilies to it for a minute , roast a little and keep aside to cool.

Wash the okra and pat it dry completely using paper towels or kitchen towels. Then cut it into 1 inch size pieces.

Boil it with one cup water and salt until tender( around 5-8 mins). 

While the okra is cooking, in a blender,grind together the freshly grated coconut, red chillies, tamarind, and coriander seeds to a fine paste . Add water while grinding as needed.

Add the above paste to the cooked okra and bring it to a boil. Turn off the flame.

Tempering:
Heat 1/2 tsp oil in a pan.  Add the mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the curry leaves and turn off the flame.

Add this to the above pot.

Serve hot with rice.

Clockwise: White rice, dal, bhenda sagle, patrado, moong dal fry, cabbage -carrot stir fry.

Enjoy.

Cooking made easy:

Okra is very slimy. Always wash okra before cutting it. Dry it completely to take away any moisture. Cook it with just enough water and don't overcook it. If overcooked, it disintegrates and you end up with a slimy mess.

Tip for healthy living:

Okra has several health benefits. It is a great source of dietary fiber preventing constipation and GI irregularities.

Food for thought:

We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated. Maya Angelou.

Tawa Bhendi Fry ( Pan-fried okra)

Couple of weeks ago, I had the previlege of writing a guest post for Jhuls from the wonderful blog the not so creative cook. The title of her blog is a misnomer as she is an extremely creative cook with a great bubbly personality. She is so full of life and her blog has very nice recipes! She is my friend from the blogging world. I met her at Angie's Fiesta Friday.

 When Jhuls invited fellow bloggers for guest posts, I jumped at the chance. I was honored when she accepted my post and later featured it in her blog.This recipe is a super-easy, quick and delicious one! To get the recipe for Tawa Bhendi Fry recipe, please visit  the not co creative cook. I promise you that you will come with many more other recipes!

Bhendi/ Okra Pepper Fry

Okra is also known as lady's finger in India. The okra we get back home is longer (around 10cms) and lighter skinned. My familiarity with the small okra has been only after I left India.I love okra and I make several different types of dishes with it. But when I want bulk and the recipe has to be quick and easy, I make bhendi/okra pepper fry. The main ingredient that gives its name and flavor is the freshly ground pepper. I use a little more than usual of it in this dish. You can reduce the quantity  based on your spice level. I also use lots of onions as it gives bulk to the dish and I like the onions sautéed with pepper.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Okra: 1 lbs
Onions: 3 medium
Black Pepper powder: 1 tbsp freshly ground
Coconut oil: 1tbsp
Salt for taste.

Method:

Slice onions lengthwise and keep aside. Partially Chop of the stem of the okra without reaching the flesh of the okra. Now make 2-3 vertical incomplete slits along the length of the okra without slitting it completely.

In a sauté pan/ wok heat oil. Add the sliced onions and sauté on medium flame until the onions start wilting.

Now add the cleaned and slit okra. Reduce the flame and let it cook until okra is tender. Make sure you sauté in between otherwise the onions can get burnt. 

Once the okra is tender add freshly ground pepper powder and salt and sauté for 2 mins until it gets coated well.

Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Cooking made easy:

• Do not cover okra and onion while cooking as it leaves water. This will turn the dish into mush.
• Always add salt at the end as addition of salt also makes the onions leave water, again making the dish watery.
• Add a few drops of additional oil if you feel it is too dry and fear burning the dish. Under such circumstances, you could keep the dish covered for few seconds and then again cook it uncovered. This allows you to take advantage of the moisture released by the onions to cook the okra.

Tip for healthy living:

Black pepper is harsh on the mouth but gentle on the stomach.It is supposed to have several health benefits that like aiding in digestion and preventing constipation.It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.It supposedly also helps burn fat.A decoction of pepper and ginger is commonly used as a cure for sore throat and common cold.It definitely clears the sinuses.

Food for thought: 

The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even touched- they must be felt with the heart.( Hellen Keller).