#BindhiMasala #AyurvedicOkra #Cumin #CookingWithTurmeric #Okra
Channel: Eyton Shalom, L.Ac.,San Diego
Date: 2020-08-21

#indianokrarecipeforconstipation #okraforconstipation #kitchenmedicine #ayurvedasandiego #ayurvediccooking #sandiegonaturalhealing #vegan #veganrecipes #vegetablerecipes #vegeterialrecipes #howtousecumin #indianspices #howtocookwithcumin #jeera

This is the #Bindhi #Bindhicurry #okrafry #IndianOkraRecipe I learned years ago in Chicago from Mrs. Mehdi who hailed from Aligarh, in the north of India.

I used to hate okra because it was so slimy. Mrs. Mehdi explained that the key is to wash the okra and let it dry out before cooking. Or if you wash right before, then drain well and toss it in a towel to absorb the excess water....Then, unless you are making soup or gumbo, it wont be slimy. 

This recipe is so simple.

Ingredients:

Okra
White or Brown Onion
Cumin Seed
Salt
Black Pepper
Turmeric
Sesame Oil or any oil you like,

but i dont recommend #coconutoil for this dish, flavor combination wise. That's because it will interfere w/the basic flavor which is okra, onion, cumin, and to a lesser extent turmeric and black pepper.

The key here is that by sauteeing the onions in oil well, with the cumin, you provide a lovely complement for the texture of the okra. The sweet and savory taste of onions and cumin also meets the strong flavor of okra head on. A dance, not a collision. Its a great combination you see in a lot of Ayurvedic cooking--onion, cumin, veggie...

Method:

Slice onions into half moon slices, as thick or thin as you like, depending on how brown or even crisp you want them...

Saute on medium heat, and as they begin to turn translucent, add the cumin seed.

When the onions are browned, and how brown is to your taste, i like pretty dark, add the okra

Keep stiring till the okra is well coated with oil. You might need to add a little more oil.  Now cover, and stir once each 30 seconds or so, depending on your pan. I use a wok.

When the tips of the okra start to open up, lower the heat to low, add the turmeric and a very tiny amount of water. 

Lower the heat, simmer for a few more minutes…and its done.

Ayurveda:

Tridoshic. Especially pacifies Vatta and Pitta. Excellent #KitchenMedicine for #constipation 

From the Ayurvedic perspective all green vegetables pacify Pitta, because of the bitter flavor. But many green veggies can elevate Vata, especially the ones in the cabbage familly. But not Okra Bindhi…..The most famous ancient Ayurvedic scholar Charaka describe Okra as pacifying Vata and Pitta….

Okra, in the mallow family, is only a little bitter, and is actually sweet, a taste that pacifies Vata and Pitta. It is also is astringent, which pacifies Pitta and Kapha. This is why it is seen as tri-doshic.

Another quality, the most medical aspect of Okra, is its naturally unctuous or moistening quality. Okra lubricates the intestines, and the astringent quality has a healing effect on the delicate mucosa of the gut.

Since Vata suffers from dryness, affecting the joints, the skin, the gut, and sometimes the personality, this makes Okra especially good for Vata, and especially for constipation. Its that very slippery quality that some folk dislike, that gives it Okra its benficial effect. And even the seeds inside the plant, are soft and plump, so lubricating.

https://bodymindwellnesscenter.com/indian-style-tri-doshic-okra-masala/