Bhindi, Aloo, Shimla Mirch
I often say that you eat your food three times. First it has to look pleasing to the eye, secondly the cooking aroma and thirdly the taste. We are amazing as humans and when the senses are aroused, you’ll enjoy the food more.
I kept this recipe simple and wanted the three main raw ingredients to shine.
Ingredients
2 x 300g frozen chopped okra
3 Large Maris piper potato’s
1 large red Spanish pepper
3 red onions
Three green chillies, sliced.
Teaspoon of turmeric powder and salt, in one litre of water
1 table spoon Basaar powder
1 tablespoon mix powder (Rajah) or curry powder
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomato’s
1.5 tablespoon of garlic paste
1.5 teaspoon of ginger paste
Preboiled water about half a cup
Small handful of chopped coriander leaves
6 -8 tablespoons of veg/rapeseed oil
4 -6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
Peel potato’s, cut into 25-35mm dices, add to water with turmeric, salt and water. Boil for about 8 mins. Until just cooked. Drain and chill in water to stop cooking. Drain and leave to one side. This will add a yellow colour to the potato’s and go with the green of the okra and red of the pepper.
Fry the okra gently in a little oil, until the stickiness goes and just tender. I use a large non stick frying pan. Leave to cool.
Chop the Spanish pepper in 30-40cm strips.
Finely slice the red onions.
Method
Fry the onions until soft in oil, add the salt early on to help the cooking. When softened,add the garlic and ginger paste. Cook out for a minute or so. Add the Basaar and mix powder, stir in oil and add half a cup of preboiled water, to stop spices burning. Add the chopped tin of tomatoes and gently cook out, until you get a smooth consistency. Don’t be afraid to add a little water from time to time, until desired consistency. Add the chopped red pepper and sliced chillies, cook until softened. Finally add the potato’s and stir through, add the okra and stir through again. Remember you are just heating these two up. When all cooked through, add the extra virgin olive oil, this will bring out flavours of the okra and pepper. Cook for a few minutes and stir in chopped coriander. Best served with roti.