a sour and spicy side dish using lady finger aka bhendi in mustard paste from Odia cuisine
Besara is one of the typical odia dish. Basically the word 'besara' is referred to a 'masala Paste of Mustard seeds'. This is a common dish in odia households using Mustard Paste. Using any vegetables, we can make besara ;)
For besara, mustad seeds are first soaked in water along with some garlic cloves, whole red chili and few cumin seeds too. Then a paste is prepared using silbata (Sila in odia) which is the the authntic way of making the paste. But in these modern days we all are making the paste in grinder. And yes, in any besara recipe Mustard oil is the must-to-be used. The pungent smell of this oil surely enhances the overall flavor of the dish. No other oil is recommended here.
Well, today's besara recipe is using bhendi / bhindi / okra / lady finger as Bhendi Besara.
Ingredients of this bhendi besara -
Lady finger (okra / bhindi / bhendi)
Potato
Tomato
Onion
Garlic clove
Mustard seed
Cumin seed
Whole red chili
Turmeric powder
Mustard oil
Dry mango (ambula)
Vadi (sundried lentil dumpling)
Salt
Water
Dietary note :
✔ Vegan
✔ Side dish
✔ Vegan
✔ Odia cuisineSteps to make this Bhendi Besara -
Make the mustard paste (besara)-
In a bowl soak 2 tbsp mustard seeds, garlic cloves, dry chili and 1 tsp cumin seeds in half a cup of water for at least 15 mins.
Then in a blender jar make a paste of all the soaked mustard seeds, garlic cloves, dry chilies and cumin seeds by adding a little water.
Besara masala is ready to use, keep aside.
Make the curry -
After that make a fine paste of onion and 1/2 of the tomato and keep aside. Next 1-2 tbsp of mustard oil is heated in a pan.
All the bhendi are fried till turns light golden in color. After that, similarly all the potato wedges are fried a bit.
Next in the same pan, rest amount of mustard oil is added. When oil is hot, the vadis are fried till light brown in color and kept aside. Then 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp mustard seeds are added and allow to splutter. After that the onion-tomato paste is added and sauted for 2-3 minutes. Next turmeric powder is mixed and sautéed for 1 minute more. After that, all the fried bhendi and potato wedges are mixed gently, else the fried okras might break.
Next the mustard paste is added along with tomato wedges. 1 cup of water (adjust as per the consistency desired in the dish) is poured and stirred gently. Everything is allowed to cook over low heat till potato wedges are all done. The ambula pieces (dry mango slices) are added and mixed by a quick stir. After cooking for 1 minute more, heat is turned off. The fried vadis are just roughly crushed and sprinkled on top. The bhendi besara is now ready to serve !
The event related to this post :
Monday is here again and the Foodie Monday Blog Hop team has decided the 273th theme as 'Family Favorite' which is suggested by Priya. Her blog is full of traditional South Indian recipes as well as recipe from around the globe. Check her space, I love the Coffee flavored Coconut burfi. Well for the theme, here I am with my family 'smost demanded odia vegetarian dish Bhendi Besara and contributed for the theme.
And, yes !!!
If you like the recipe shared here and give a try at your place then do share in INSTAGRAM by tagging #firsttimercook. I would be so happy to see and surely share in my INSTA stories 😊😊
Now let’s go through how to make "Bhendi Besara" at home 👇
: Recipe Card :
Author
SasmitaPrep time
20 MinCook time
30 MinTotal time
50 MinBhendi Besara | Lady Finger in Mustard Paste
Sour and spicy side dish using lady finger aka bhendi in mustard paste from Odia cuisine
Ingredients
- Lady finger (okra / bhindi / bhendi) (2 inch size) 1.5 cup
- Potato (wedges) 1/2 cup
- Tomato (large) 1 no.
- Onion (medium) (finely chopped) 1 no.
- Garlic clove 5-6 no.
- Mustard seed 2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp
- Cumin seed 1 tsp + 1/2 tsp
- Whole red chili 2-3 no.
- Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
- Mustard oil 2-3 tbsp
- Dry mango (ambula) 1-2 no.
- Vadi (sundried lentil dumpling) few
- Salt as needed
- Water as needed
Instructions
- First soak 2 tbsp mustard seeds, garlic cloves, dry chili and 1 tsp cumin seeds in half a cup of water for at least 15 minutes.
- Then in a blender jar make a paste of all the soaked mustard seeds, garlic cloves, dry chilies and cumin seeds by adding a little water. Keep aside.
- Also make a fine paste of onion and 1/2 of the tomato.
- Cut the rest 1/2 part of tomato into wedges and keep aside.
- Next heat 1-2 tbsp of mustard oil in a pan.
- Add all the bhendi and fry till turns light golden in color.
- Strain and transfer to a plate.
- After that, add the potato wedges and fry a bit. Transfer to the plate.
- Into the pan, add remaining mustard oil.
- When oil is hot, fry the vadis and keep aside.
- Next add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1/2 tsp mustard seeds.
- After the seeds start to splutter, add the onion-tomato paste.
- Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add turmeric powder and mix well.
- Sauté for 1 minute more and then add all the fried bhendi and potato wedges.
- Gently mix everything, else the fried okras might break.
- Next add the mustard paste and the tomato wedges.
- Pour 1 cup of water (adjust as per the consistency desired in the dish).
- Stir gently and allow to cook over low heat till potato wedges are all done.
- Add the ambula pieces (dry mango slices) and give a quick stir.
- Cook for 1 minute more and turn off heat.
- Roughly break the vadis and sprinkle on top.
- Serve hot with steamed rice-dal combo !
Notes:
Adjust the spiciness as desired.
The sourness in the dish is usually due to the dry mango slices aka AMBULA. In addition to that, we love the sourness from tomato, so I always add few tomato wedges. But this is optional.
Addition of potato wedges is optional too.
Without breaking the vadis, one can directly add to the curry. We love the crunchiness, so prefer to add at the end. Else one can add just before turning off the heat, so that vadis can soak the gravy a bit.
https://www.firsttimercook.com/2020/11/bhendi-besara-lady-finger-in-mustard-paste.html
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