What is a Tawa?
An Indian tawa is, for want of a better description, a flat-top griddle. It can be made from iron, steel or aluminium. This style of cookware has multiple uses in Indian cookery, from cooking flatbreads and dosa, to street-style specialities like Pau Bhaji, tawa pulao (rice), curries and this Aloo Bhindi Tawa Masala. I personally have both cast iron and steel tawas and use them interchangeably depending on the dish I’m cooking. I prefer cast iron for dosas and steel for pau bhaji, burgers and rice. If you haven’t already tried my Spicy Bean Tawa Burgers, I implore you to give them a go. They’re a fantastic meal-in-one!
What if I don’t have a tawa?
Fear not! You can still make this dish in any heavy-based frying pan (skillet), casserole dish or even in a paella dish. It’s very forgiving.
Where to buy an Indian tawa
There are so many factors when it comes to choosing an Indian tawa that’s appropriate for your style of cooking. Here are some options you might find useful (affiliate links).
How to serve Aloo Bhindi Tawa Masala
It makes for an amazing standalone main dish, celebrating the wonderful textures of the vegetables, however this can also be the perfect side dish as part of a bigger meal. Serve alongside roti, naan or rice. I personally love this dish with a couple of flaky black pepper jalebi parathas.
Can I add other vegetables to this curry?
Absolutely! Feel free to play around with different combinations of veggies in this curry. I often make it with baby aubergines, pearl onions, fat chillies and tomatoes. Ultimately, it’s a choose your own adventure sort of meal. Use up fridge scraps or make it an extravaganza of many different vegetables. It can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish. If you like the sound of making this entirely with one vegetable, check out my recipes for Gujarati Ravaiya and Bharela Marcha.
How to prepare stuffed okra
How to prepare stuffed potatoes
Steaming the vegetables
I find the quickest and most effective way to cook the vegetables is to steam them. A pinch of baking soda in the stuffing masala will help them cook through evenly. Okra will take around 8 minutes to steam and potatoes, around 10 minutes (medium heat). Keep checking on them because cook times will depend on the intensity of the heat of the pan.
How to make the tawa masala (sauce for Aloo Bhindi Tawa Masala)
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If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Gujarati Ravaiya
Love Sanjana Store leftovers in an airtight container (refrigerated) for up to 3 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving. It’s best to reheat this in the microwave. Do not add extra water when reheating as this will turn the okra slimy. Share this recipe
