Bhindi Shimla Mirch (Okra sauteed with Red Peppers)

This post comes to you 35,000 feet up in the air as I fly from New York – London – New Delhi. A painfully loooooooooong flight.
For the longest time I was obsessed, loved, and adored the British accent, but after today’s flight on Virgin Atlantic, I can conclude the British accent sounds so much better on a man, than a woman. 
I’m sitting next to the food service area and have been trying to get some shut-eye for the past 2 hours, but all I hear are a bunch of stewardesses gossiping NONSTOP amongst themselves in their British accent.  I so want to scream SHUT THE [email protected]&# UP, it’s still so early!  Clearly, I’m not in a good mood with merely 3 hours of sleep on this dreaded 8 AM flight to India.
Of course, each time the pilot makes an announcement on the intercom, his accent sounds so charming and I can’t help but smile and fall in love with the accent all over again. 
Not to mention the little girl sitting in front of me who says to her mum in her sweet British accent, “do you know BFF stands for big fat friend.”  LOL!  Her comment has me laughing so hard.
Once my Chicken Korma and Orange Juice with Vodka rolled around, the gossipy stewardesses were a lot more pleasant to my ears.  I suppose we can all agree waking up super early is not my cup of tea.
Yes, I know what you’re thinking… I’m probably one of the few people in the world who actually loves airplane food, especially Virgin Atlantic’s.


And now, a slight twist on a Punjabi classic – Bhindi (okra) sauteed with Shimla Mirch (bell peppers).  Hope you fancy this dish.   

NUTRITION: Okra is rich in Vitamins A, B6, C, and Fiber. It is also a good source of Folic Acid.  Bell Peppers are a great source of Vitamins A, B6, and C.


INGREDIENTS:

• Olive Oil – 2 tbsp
• Asafetida (hing) – 1/8 tsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
• Medium Onion – 1 (chopped)
• Red Pepper – 1 (chopped)  … you can also add a green pepper
• Okra – 6 handfuls (chopped)
• Coriander Powder – 3 to 4 tsp
• Red Chili Powder – 1/2 to 1 tsp
• Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp
• Mango Powder (Amchoor) – 1/2 tsp
• salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Start by chopping an onion.
2. Heat a pan on medium heat, once hot add oil, add asafetida and turmeric powder. 
3. Should sizzle right away, stir it around for a few seconds.
4. Drop the onions in.  Season with salt.  Stir.  Lower the heat to dial low-medium.
5. While the onions cook (about 7 to 10 minutes), chop the okra.
TIP: when working with okra, wash it and allow it to try completely to avoid any stickiness. 
6. This is how the onions should look. 
7. Add the okra and season with salt.  Stir.  Allow the okra to cook for 5 minutes.
8. In the meantime, chop a red bell pepper.  Feel free to also add a green bell pepper, I bet it would still taste amazing.
9. Add the bell pepper along with the red chili powder, coriander powder, and salt.  Stir.
10. Cover with a lid and allow the veggies to cook on low heat (dial #3) for 20 minutes.  Keep checking in between. 
11. This is what you should have 20 minutes later.  Taste the okra, make sure it is soft and completely cooked.
12. Add garam masala and mango powder.  Stir.  Turn off the stove.
13. Goes best with roti/chapatti and raita (Indian yogurt).
TELL ME: What things annoy you most about flying?