Bhindi Zunka

'Zunka', a Maharashtrian delicacy made basically with onions and bengal gram flour or besan..I learned this simple and easy side dish through my friend who adore north indian dishes and she prepared this delicious bhindi zunka when we went to her home for lunch before a month back, my H who never ever like bhindis loved my friend's bhindi zunka and he really appreciated her for this delicious dish, which pulled me to ask her for this recipe which i thought would be too long to cook..for my surprise this dish is completely very simple quick to prepare also very easy which tastes delicious..For me this zunka is one of the cousin sister of our paruppu usili, which is really very quick and easy to prepare than paruppu usili...U can prepare zunka simply with onions and bengal gram flour or else with any sort of veggies but personally i felt bhindi and capsicum works out wonder with besan flour..Zunka are traditionally served with bhakri, a thick flatbread made with jowar and bajra flours and this zunka and bhakri are the main foods of the rural Marathi peoples..This both dishes are well balanced in terms of proteins and carbohydrates....

2cups Bhindi/Okra/Lady fingers
1no Onion (chopped)
1/2cup Besan flour/bengal gram flour
1/2tsp Cumin seeds
1/4tsp Ajwain seeds
1/2tsp Turmeric powder
1/4tsp Red chilly powder
2nos Slit opened green chillies
3nos Curry leaves
1tbsp Coriander leaves (chopped)
2tbsp Oil
Salt


Heat a pan, add the besan flour and dry roast gently on medium heat until the aroma comes out, keep aside..in an another pan add enough oil, let splutters the cumin seeds, ajwain seeds..add the chopped onions, slit opened green chillies, curry leaves and saute until the onions turns transculent..now add the bhindi pieces saute with turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt for a few minutes now stir in the roasted gram flour and saute gently in medium heat, the flour will get cooked with oil and veggies, dont add any water...cover the pan with lid and cook in low heat for few minutes until the oil gets separates..garnish the coriander leaves and serve hot..

This zunka tastes great with rotis,curd rice, rasam rice or any other flat breads!!