Are you happy when you buy okra/bhindi/lady’s finger from the market? Strange question? I mean did you ever expect such question? Haha! I mean buying vegetables is an essential task what most people do regularly. We need to do for surviving. It is not about happy or unhappy. Who cares? But will you be happy when you will harvest homegrown okra? Here comes the real happiness. It is not important that you love this vegetable or not. But you will definitely enjoy that activity.
I enjoy my time when I harvest okra (or bhindi or lady’s finger) from my rooftop garden. I have 12 plants in my garden and those have started producing okra since last a few days. I think 10-12 okra plants are enough for a family of 4 members. Now I am harvesting approx 25-30 okra (from 8 plants) per week and it will definitely increase when other 4 plants will start producing okra.
I sowed a few seeds in the middle of February month but only a few seeds were germinated. So after a days, a few seeds I sowed in early March. So only 8 plants which were sowed early are producing vegetables. Within next 2-3 weeks other plants will also start producing vegetables. This was my first time when I am growing okra in container. I never thought it can show such a great result in container too.
I have used well drained soil in the containers/pots/grow bags and added enough organic fertilizers (like vermi compost, mustard cake, horn dust & bone dust). I am also applying liquid fertilizer prepared by mustard cake every week.
During this lockdown period due to corona virus pandemic, homegrown okra (bhindi/lady’s finger) becomes life saver. I am getting fresh vegetables from my own rooftop garden. I do not know that how long this lockdown will go on. But I am not getting bored because of those plants.
Okra based homemade dishes
Do you know many people drink okra soaked water because it is said it is good for diabetes patients. It has many nutritional benefits.
So do you like okra/bhindi/lady’s finger as a vegetable? It is used to make various traditional dishes. Achari bhindi, bhindi masala etc re popular North Indian dishes. Whereas in Eastern Indian states, particularly in West Bengali use it to make bhendi bhaja, bhendi posto, Bengali people like boiled okra a lot. Sambar dal with okra & other vegetables is very popular in South Indian states.
Achari bhindi: This is one of my favorite okra based dishes. This is very very delicious and a simple dry okra curry. It is very flavorful and you will get a strong aroma of pickle what almost every Indian loves. The smell of this dish will bring water in every pickle lover’s mouth.
Boiled okra/bhindi: A popular Bengali way to eat okra. They mash boiled okra/bhindi and mix with roasted red chilli & raw mustard oil. Some people even add finely chopped raw onions too. I also love this dish and use to eat it since my childhood. It is very simple & healthy okra based dish.
Okra fry/bhendi bhaja: It is another simple Bengali okra based dish. It is just a stir fry okra. But some people add finely chopped onion & tomato too. Both versions are enjoyable. You just need to spinkle pinches of red chilli powder, turmeric powder & salt. That’s it.
Bhindi masala: This is a popular Punjabi dish. I love to enjoy this dish with tawa roti or phulka. It is very delicious and dry spicy okra curry. But not as aromatic as achari bhindi. Masala bhindi and roti along with a few fresh vegetables as salad are perfect for a meal. Did you ever try this? It is awesome.
Sambar dal:This is a popular South Indian dish. Though it is a South Indian dish but nowadays it is very popular across the country. I love to have this sambar dal with idli as well as dosa. It is very easy to make if you have sambar masala powder at home. You can even buy it from the local market. Though okra is not a compulsory ingredient to make this but during summer season, it is a common ingredient in sambar dal. It makes sambar dal more enjoyable.
So which one is your favorite okra based dish? Is there any? If it is not in the list then you can share it by leaving a comment below.
So grow your own vegetables, make homemade food, stay at home & stay safe during this lockdown period during this extraordinary situation due to corona virus spread.
Leave a Reply