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Bhindi Masala

Tonight’s Dinner. It’s also my favorite dish to order at pretty much any Indian restaurant I end up at. I love the variations I’ve had of this dish, which simply translates to spiced okra. Although, I’m admitting right now, this doesn’t taste exactly like authentic Indian cuisine–because, ya know, I’m much better at Polish/German/Irish/American cooking.

But! It’s delicious, and pretty spicy in a mild kinda way. Feel free to add more chili powder to jazz it up. Before attempting to make my own Bhindi Masala,  I learned some important tips from Manjula about okra cooking that I never knew the hundred other times I’ve made it. First, after you rinse your okra, be sure to pat them very dry, lest your okra get slimy while cooking. Also, you don’t have to cut your okra into cute little ferris wheels to make this dish. Hers looked pretty kickin’ with the pods cut lengthwise.

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Baingan Bharta (more or less)

My love for Baingan Bharta has turned into a bit of an obsession lately; especially  since I mentioned it in my recent post for blueberry salsa. This recipe is an adaption of the link I posted from Manjula’s Kitchen. But, it’s a tad different with the addition of yellow zucchini squash.

The entire dish comes together quite easily, although the mashing of the ingredients while cooking takes a little elbow grease.  It works wonders to curb a desperate craving for Baingan Bharta, say… really late at night when everything is closed and the nearest Indian restaurant is 45 miles away.

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Basil Grilled Tofu with Okra, Red Peppers and Portabellas

Basil Grilled Tofu

I was recently cleaning out my cabinets and discovered a treasure buried deep down underneath my twenty (and a half) cake pans…. my electric George Foreman grill!  I rescued it from my sister last summer when she was holding a garage sale. I don’t think it is actually made by George Foreman.. err, his brand name, but it works mighty nice.  Its extra big with a temperature control. Very fancy.

These types of grills are cheap and  easy to come by (I bought  our previous model at the drugstore for 7 dollars).  They also make the best tofu ever. Seriously, I could eat my weight in tofu grilled on one of these things.  Prior to seeing the magic these humble grills could perform on well drained tofu, I wasn’t a big fan of cooking it myself.  Mostly a scramble here and there.  But with the grill… anything is possible.

I have been happily serving my family various versions of grilled tofu almost every night since the grill’s re-discovery.  This recipe is my favorite so far.  Basil infused olive oil lends a spectacular flavor to this crispy and chewy tofu.  Served along a melange of red peppers, mushrooms, and okra this tofu becomes part of a wonderfully fragrant and tasty meal.

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