Bharwa(n) Bhindi - Oven roasted and yummy!

Learnt it from a friend's mom and made them for the first time while in my Under-graduate program. I should say they turned out ok then, and my amma was impressed!!  Have been making them ever since...off and on before the wedding and then almost once a month for hubby dearest, a huge okra fan...so wouldnt he be the happiest! Flavour and texture of the batch I make has definitely improved over time.

You need

20 medium sized okra/bhindi

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves/cilantro

tempering

2 cloves of garlic (crushed)

1tbsp olive or sunflower oil

1tbsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1tbsp oil (olive or sunflower)

filling

1/3 cup chick peas / besan flour

1tbsp red chilli powder

1/2 tbsp turmeric powder

3 tbsp lemon juice or 1 tbsp amchur powder

2-tbsp cumin+coriander powder (I use kuzhambu powder) 

1/2 tsp hing/asafoetida

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Goda masala (for that extra punch- you can skip it) 

Procedure

Wash and drip dry/ pat dry the bhindi and slit them vertically; keep aside

Make the filling - mix in all the ingredients and stuff the okra 

prepare the tempering - in a kadai/pan pour 1 tbsp oil and put in crushed garlic, jeera (cumin) and hing and gently place the okra and fold in to coat the okra with the oil

Take the mixed in and tempered okra and place them on a baking tray

Bake your yummy okra for 25 -30 minutes at 350F/180 C (middle rack)

Pull the tray out of the oven and garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves and Voila!!

Works well with mooru kuzhambu and rice! or with plain roti and dal as well. Of course, my hubby has it as a snack :P... 

Trivia

I also use ragi /millet powder instead of besan

If you were to cook it on the stove and skip the oven, then just make sure you cook it on low to medium heat and never cover the dish. Covering leaves the dish limp (steam does its job!!)

Oven Roasted dishes consume less oil, hence the recipe!

Tried serving them as starters too and they were a hit
Garlic and hing/asafoetida are to balance the hard to digest chickpeas flour

Any variation to the recipe are all welcome...never hurts to learn :)