Okra, Bhindi, Lady's finger | steamed okra recipes

Okra is a versatile vegetable if you like it. If you don't, it is just a slimy green thing.

Many people I have heard do not like Okra just because it is slimy. Would you believe me it can be made in such ways that you wont even notice any slime? That too in a steamed okra.

Yes, you heard it right. Steamed Okra gave me a shock as well when I heard it for the first time from a Bong friend. But as she described it, I knew it was something I would love. Subtle flavors of Okra enhanced with sharp mustard oil. Seasoned just with salt and a little mustard oil is the original Bong version.

Soon I started making a few variations of the steamed Okra as the name steamed Okra/Bhindi was not going well with the loved ones. You know what I mean.

Recently when a friend Varsha Tiwary wanted some minimalist recipes with Okra, I suggested this steamed version. She was flabbergasted to hear the name. I promised her the recipes and here these are.

Steamed Okra with English mustard ...

Normally in bengali homes, a plateful of okra is placed over cooking rice, covered with the lid of the bigger pot. Rice is cooked in huge pots in Bengali homes and they prefer to steam some of their vegetables along with it. They call it Sheddho.  I love all those steamed mashed vegetables. You can always season them to your own choice. Something I do myself. Not a purist that way.

This is how I steam my Okra...all arranged in a flat pan in single layer, sprinkled with water, a drizzle of mustard or olive oil and salt, covered with a lid. The okra are partly slit lengthwise, keeping the stalk intact.

Then steaming for about 5 minutes on medium flame and the okra is all medium soft, do not let it get mushy. Actually it wont as you have just sprinkled water over it. If you cook for longer, it would get dry and dehydrated. So check the okra, it should look just done and a little softer.

Arrange them in  a serving plate, drizzle mustard over it, may be some chopped raw onions too.

Your steamed okra is done. It can make a meal trust me.

If not English mustard, you can have some green pepper sauce or pickled green chillies over it. Or just go with your instinct for the day and add just anything that suits your mood....

Serve it as a side dish with chapatis and daal or rice and daal if it has to be part of a meal. It serves the purpose of a salad more than a subzi. I know you would make it quite often.

Those stalks are not edible, you just have to hold the okra by the stalk, eat the Okra and discard the stalk.

Now, if you are not comfortable with steamed Okra (the idea of steaming them I mean), you can stir fry them with the same ingredients.

Or just add some pickle like this karonde ka achar to the steaming okra and a pickled steamed okra is ready for paratha kind of meals. You can use any pickle for that matter.

Okra steamed with ginger soy sauce

Just slit the okra lengthwise halfway. Toss with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, some soy sauce and ginger powder (or juice), very little salt to adjust, some garlic pods sliced and cook covered for about 5 minutes on low flame.

Empty in a serving plate and serve hot.

I love it. I can actually have it like a standalone meal. These recipe can be packed in lunch boxes if you carry to your office.Okra steamed this way tastes good even at room temperature.

Now there is another stir fry with the same cut of the vegetable. Minimalist ways I told you.

Schezuan pepper Okra stir fry....

Here I just heat some Sesame oil  in a pan and keep slitting the Okra and tossing in the pan. Tossing the contents of the pan on heat a few times. Sprinkled with salt to taste, a little red chilly powder, a little Schezuan pepper powder and a light sprinkling of Besan (Chickpea flour).

This Chickpea flour is dusted only if the Okra is not patted dry after washing them. A trick to prevent it from getting soggy and slimy in the pan. 

I have added a little Anaardaana (tart Pomegranate seeds powder) powder to this stir fry as well and it was outstanding in it's taste. You can always substitute it with Amchoor (dry mango powder) or even some lemon juice if there is Besan going in it.

 These steamed preparations and the stir fried Okra too, take just under ten minutes to cook. Ready as a side dish in a jiffy. Minimal chopping and minimal spicing if you wish.

What other vegetables you would like to cook as quickly?

 May be I have a recipe and share it. Let me know and stay tuned....