Okra or Lady's finger as it's known is an annual green vegetable that is used mainly in Curries, Sambar ( Lentil Stew), in Indian cuisine. Okra is one of my favorite veggie. As a kid I used to eat em plucked right out of plant :-).
The slimy texture of this vegetable repels many people but with right cooking techniques and following a good recipe like this one will make it one of your favorite veggie :-).
If that doesn't convince you, check the link below to find out many health benefits of Okra. With all these benefits it is worth to give a fair chance to this Vegetable.
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2016/01/05/this-is-what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-ingest-okra/
As I said, Okra is one of my most favorite veggie. I love the Okra stir fry along with plain Dal and Rice. And then this Okra fry recipe is also a delicious choice and goes well with Rice and Dal. Try my Malabar spinach dal or Zucchini Dal along with this recipe. They pair really well. Today I served it with Swiss chard Dal which was a good combo too.The recipe is not on the blog yet though :-(. Having Dal and fry along with Rice is a typical Telugu meal. The meal then will be finished with Rasam (Charu/ IndianTomato soup)and Yogurt.
The recipe, Okra fry is a family recipe. In this recipe Okra is deep fried. Then it is mixed with spice powder. We make different versions of spice powders at home. Today I have used Coconut spice powder ( Kobbari Karam) . It's super easy to make. Just make sure to adjust spice according to your taste. Also you can add fried Peanuts and curry leaves to the recipe which adds great flavors and textures. You can also add this powder to fried Bitter melon (Karela/Kakarakaya) or Fried Eggplant (Aubergine/Vankaya). So this one powder has many possibilities :-).
Oh! One more thing, when you pick Okra, make sure they are soft to touch. I give them gentle squeeze to feel the softness. If they are hard, they are over ripen and filled with seeds which won't taste that good.
Now lets dive into the recipe.
Servings:
Eight (8)
Total time:
25 minutes
Ingredients (I use US standard measuring; 1cup=8oz=250ml):
- About 25 Okra ( Lady's finger or Bhindi)
- 1/4 Cup Fine Coconut powder (Store bought)
- 3/4 tbsp Salt or adjust
- 2 tbsp Chili powder or adjust
- 1/4 cup Peanuts
- Curry leaves optionally
Okra Fry Step wise Recipe
- Heat oil in a Kadai or Skillet.
- Rinse Okra under water. Cut the tail part lil bit.The top part is tough and inedible.Sometimes I keep it just for the looks.You can keep it or cut it.
- Place em on a paper towel and pat em dry. This is to ensure they do not splatter when placed in oil.
- Now make a slit in okra lengthwise (Do not cut into two pieces).This helps to cook Okra, inside out. Also Okra will not burst in oil.
- Once the oil is hot, keep flame in medium. Drop Okra one by one in hot oil. Fry em till they turn slight brown.
- While Okra are frying, make spice powder:Take 1/4 cup fine coconut powder (I used store bought) , about 3/4 tsp salt (or adjust), 2 tbsp chili powder in a coffee grinder or blender. Pulse few times so they all mix well.
- Once Okra are fried take em in a bowl. Add the spice powder to them.
- Stir to coat spice powder.
- Optional: Fry 1/4 cup peanuts in the same oil or shallow fry in a tsp oil. Add to the Okra fry. It adds some crunch and great taste. You can add more Peanuts if you like.
- You can also shallow fry few curry leaves and add to the dish.These add extra layer of flavor and make the dish visibly appealing.
- Serve Okra fry with Steaming hot Rice and Ghee. Ghee cuts down spice.
Tips:
- Adjust spice accordingly by using more or less Chili powder.
- You can add some grated or crushed garlic to the spice powder. Use 2-3 cloves.
- You can add more coconut powder if you like.
- If you do not have coconut powder, simply grind dry coconut pieces to powder.
- You can shallow fry Okra instead of deep frying. It might not give the same textures but uses less oil.
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