Subject: Fried Okra with Cumin (Sabzi Bhendi)
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Tue Mar 18 2003 - 13:43:29 EST
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FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks again to "SINGSnKEYS" for this groaner:
A fly was buzzing along one morning when he saw a lawn mower someone
had left out in their front yard. He flew over and sat on the handle,
watching the children going down the sidewalk on their way to school.
One little boy tripped on a crack and fell, spilling his lunch on the
sidewalk. He picked himself up, put his lunch back in the bag and
went on. But he missed a piece of bologna. The fly had not eaten
that morning and he sure was hungry so he flew down and started eating
the bologna. In fact he ate so much that he could not fly, so he
waddled across the sidewalk, across the lawn, up the wheel of the lawn
mower, up the handle, and sat there resting and watching the children.
There was still some bologna laying there on the sidewalk. He was
really stuffed, but that baloney sure did look good. Finally
temptation got the best of him and he jumped off the handle of the
lawn mower to fly over to the baloney. But alas he was too full to
fly and he went splat!, killing himself instantly. The moral of the
story: Don't fly off the handle when you are full of baloney.
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TODAY'S RECIPE
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Here's a nice note I received today:
Hi Chef,
I live in New Jersey but am from India originally. I am a subscriber
and enjoy reading the various recipes that you send out every day.
Today reading the recipe for curried potatoes and peas makes me very
happy. Reason? A lot of non-Indian web sites carry this and many
other Indian recipes but this has got to be the most authentic. Many
a time the recipe is changed or modified, but you have truly captured
the essence of the dish. Great job.
Lina Marathe
Thanks Lina. It's good to know that occasionally I hit the mark. And
here's another good example of how Indian cooks can take a few
simple and readily available ingredients and combine them in a way
that makes them uniquely Indian.
Fried Okra with Cumin (Sabzi Bhendi)
3 Tbs (45 ml) ghee (see recipe below)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 lb (450 g) whole fresh or frozen okra, thawed
1 Tbs (15 ml) ground cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat the ghee in a large skillet over moderate heat until very hot.
Saute the onion until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the
remaining ingredients and fry, stirring frequently, until the okra is
tender, about 25 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.
Ghee
1 lb (450 g) unsalted butter
Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Increase the
heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is completely
covered with foam stir the butter gently and reduce the heat to the
lowest possible setting. Simmer uncovered and undisturbed for 45
minutes, or until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned
golden brown and the butter on top is transparent. Strain the butter
through a sieve lined with linen or four layers of cheesecloth. If
there are any solids in the ghee, no matter how small, strain it again
until it is perfectly clear. Pour the ghee into a glass jar and seal
tightly. This recipe makes about 1 1/2 cups, and may be kept at room
temperature for several months, or almost indefinitely refrigerated.
It will congeal if refrigerated, and so must be warmed before using if
liquid ghee is called for.
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