Okra Kebabs in Tomato Gravy
A sophisticated vegetarian dish where tender okra, potatoes, and onions are finely minced to create savory, meat-free kebabs with a texture resembling traditional keema. These spiced patties are steamed, crisped in ghee, and then simmered in a luscious, aromatic tomato gravy seasoned with cardamom, cloves, and cinnamon. Perfect served with naan or rice, this recipe elevates simple vegetables into an elegant main course.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound Tomatoes, ripe and large (Originally '0.5 sher'.)
- 1/2 pound Okra (Bhinda), tender and seedless (Originally '0.5 sher'.)
- 2 ounces Onions (Originally '5 tolas'. Approx 1 small onion.)
- 2 ounces Potatoes (Originally '1 navtank'. Approx 1 small potato.)
- 2 ounces Ghee (Originally '1 navtank'. Used for frying.)
- 1/2 tablespoon Fresh ginger (Originally '0.5 tola'. Approx 1 inch piece.)
- 8 cloves Garlic cloves (Large cloves.)
- 2 bunches Cilantro (Coriander leaves)
- 1 whole Green chili, large
- 4 tablespoons Chickpea flour (Besan) (Heaping spoons. Plus extra for dusting.)
- 3 teaspoons Vegetable oil (Originally 'sweet oil'.)
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
- 2 1/2 teaspoons Salt (Divided use (1.5 tsp for kebabs, 1 tsp for gravy).)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder (Originally '4 pinches'.)
- 5 whole Cardamom pods
- 5 whole Cloves
- 1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon Sugar (Quantity estimated (mentioned in instructions but not ingredient list).)
Instructions
- 1Peel the onions and potatoes and chop them very finely. Wash and wipe the okra, then chop it very finely as well. Using a sharp knife or food processor, mince these three vegetables together until they resemble a fine mince (keema).
- 2Wash the cilantro leaves, dry them, and chop very finely. Grind the green chili together with the cumin seeds into a fine paste. Peel the ginger and garlic, crush them finely, and divide this paste into three parts; keep one part aside for the gravy and use the other two parts for the kebabs.
- 3Combine the minced vegetables with the cilantro, chili-cumin paste, and two parts of the ginger-garlic paste. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Mix everything thoroughly until uniform. Cover and let the mixture rest for one hour.
- 4After resting, mix in 4 heaping tablespoons of chickpea flour. Grease your hands with a little chickpea flour to prevent sticking, then shape the mixture into 6 smooth, neat kebabs. Steam the kebabs until firm.
- 5Spread some dry chickpea flour on a plate. Roll the steamed kebabs in the flour to coat them evenly, then flatten them slightly. Heat the ghee and oil together in a frying pan over low heat. When the fat is hot and smoking slightly, place the kebabs in the pan. Fry until one side is dark red and crispy, then flip carefully and fry the other side. Remove from the pan and set aside, keeping the remaining ghee in the pan.
- 6Boil the tomatoes in a pot of water until soft. Remove and strain through a sieve to extract all the pulp. Add 4 teaspoons of water to the skins/residue to extract any remaining juice and strain again. Finely crush the cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Add these spices to the tomato pulp along with 1 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, sugar, red chili powder, and the reserved one part of ginger-garlic paste. Mix well.
- 7Reheat the ghee/oil remaining in the frying pan. Add the seasoned tomato mixture and mix well. Place the fried kebabs gently into the gravy side-by-side. Simmer uncovered on low heat, turning the kebabs occasionally, until the gravy thickens and the ghee separates from the sauce. Serve hot.