Kasuri Methi Bhindi Masala (Okra Masala)

This Indian dish is so simple to prepare and very big on flavor! Of course, most Indian dishes are big on flavor, which is why we love them so much in our house. Kasuri Methi simply means dried fenugreek leaves. Fenugreek is a wonderful, aromatic herb which tastes like a combination of fennel and celery. It is an important flavor in this dish so for an authentic taste, don't leave it out. I have a link to it in the ingredients section below that will take you to my Amazon store. You can certainly find it on your own if you prefer. If you live near an Indian market, it will probably be less expensive there. Same with the garam masala powder. I usually use Ajika brands but lately they have been unavailable for some reason so the links below are new and to other brands.

If you plan on doing a lot of Indian cooking, there are some vital spices and spice blends to have on hand, from which you can create amazingly flavorful and aromatic meals. Find my list of these key spices on my Indian Lentil Sweet Potato Stew post.

I added some potatoes to this to make it more of a meal instead of a side dish. You could leave them out, of course. But the addition created a filling dish and was quickly devoured with no leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh okra, chopped
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• 2 small potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 TBS freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ tsp turmeric

Directions:

• Steam the potatoes until tender.
• While the potatoes are cooking, water sauté the onion with the okra until the onion is tender.
• Add the remaining ingredients, including the steamed potatoes if using, and stir well to combine.
• Cover and simmer until the tomatoes are falling apart (about 20 minutes).
• Serve over brown rice.

Serves 4. Enjoy!

Healthy trails,