Spiced Tender Chopped Bindi

Bindi is the Hindi name for “okra.” In South Asia, okra is rarely cooked in water. Instead it is deep-fried or fried in a spiced oil–based sauce. This dish is a rather magical transformation of dull green okra into nuggets of flavor, with no sliminess, just good bite.

In Udaipur we stayed at the Jagat Niwas Hotel, family owned and very pleasant, right by the lake and just beside the imposing palace of the maharaja of Udaipur. The food at the restaurant tended to the elaborate