Okra Curry

One of my good friend and my blog reader suggested that I should post the pictures in order that the item was cooked. As you notice today, I have posted the picture in order of cooking the dish. Except the first pic is of the prepared dish. I don't know why but I was posting them other way before. Please let me know if you prefer the way I was posting them before or you like them this way.

Anyways, I love this curry. Okra is my favorite vegetable but as I mentioned before in my other Okra recipes that when the cut okra are cooked it releases a mucilaginous, "goo" or slime. While many people enjoy okra cooked this way, for this curry you may want to minimize sliminess; keeping the pods intact and cooking quickly help to achieve this. To avoid sliminess, okra pods are often briefly stir-fried so that the mucilage dissolves.

Here is how I make this curry. This recipe yields 6 servings of this side dish.



Ingredients:

• 2 frozen packets of cut Okra (10-11 oz each)

• 1 table spoon oil to fry okra

• 1 and a half onions

• 1 small jalapeno

• 1 small green pepper

• 4 cloves of garlic

• 1 (1") piece of ginger

• 2 tomatoes

• 3 cups of plain yogurt

• 1 and half teaspoon salt

• 2 tables spoon coriander powder

• 1 teaspoon of roasted cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 2 table spoon oil for tadka

• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds (optional)

• 1/4 teaspoon asefetida

• 1-2 pods of dry red chillies

• 1-2 bay leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper corn

• 1 teaspoon of sugar

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves for garnish



Method:


• Heat a table spoon of oil in a frying pan.

• When oil is hot, add cut okra and saute on high heat with intermittent stirring until all the liquid is burnt leaving behind the pieces of okra with no sticky substance. Turn the heat off and set aside.

• Finely chop onions, Jalapenos, green pepper, garlic and ginger in food processor, set aside.

• Puree the tomatoes in food processor set aside.

• Add all the dry spices to plain yogurt and mix well, set aside.

• Heat 2 tables spoon of oil in pan.

• When oil is hot add black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, when these crackle, add asfetida, immediately followed by bay leaves, red chili pod, and black pepper corn.

• Add onion, garlic, ginger, green pepper, jalapeno paste and saute on medium heat until golden brown.

• Add tomato puree to this and cook for 2-3 min.

• Add spiced yogurt mix and cook for 2-3 min.

• Add sautéed okra pieces to this.

• Add salt.

• Add sugar, cook for 6-8 min on medium-low heat occasionally stirring to desired consistency.

• Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

• Serve hot with Basmati white rice or bread of your choice (pita, flat bread, chapatis, Tandoori roti, or naan goes well with this)


Enjoy :)

Recipe and Photographs by Surekha.