Okra is an unusual and truly beautiful vegetable. It’s also known as lady finger or bhinda. I learned to first love okra when my mum would make it with rice, masala potatoes and kadhi (a spicy yoghurt / sour milk gravy). It was the perfect balance for all the carbs and was spiced with rich and warming flavours. It’s also great when wrapped in a roti with lettuce leaves! A little while back, I was really excited to attempt making okra for the first time. Little did I know that this beautiful vegetable came with a very specific method on how to cook it so that it either wouldn’t dry out or stay very sticky. I remember having to eat some really slimy okra that someone had made once – it was not very pleasant!

Anyway, I attempted to make okra myself and I totally failed the first time. I had cut the okra too thin to begin with (I probably got distracted by the gorgeous star shapes) and then when it was cooking, it dried out really fast and I ended up with crispy, flavourless, very chewy …nothingness. I was disappointed but eager to try again, and when I did try the second time, it came out so delicious, there were hardly any leftovers! So here I will share with you the recipe on how to make okra that’s neither sticky nor dry. It’s commonly known as Bhindi Masala.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups chopped okra
1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
4 Tbsp oil (I prefer to use odourless coconut oil)
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp ajwain
¼ tsp asafoetida
½ tsp garlic paste
½ tsp ginger paste
¾ tsp crushed green chillies
Himalayan pink salt to taste
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp dhana jeeroo powder
1 tsp red chilli powder

Method:

Ensure that you wash the okra really well. Then dry with a dishcloth. Cut into 1.5 cm thick slices, removing the base and the stalk, and spread out on a tray to air dry while you’re preparing the rest of the ingredients. This will reduce some of the stickiness.
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a medium-sized non-stick frying pan and add the cumin seeds and ajwain. Once the seeds are slightly browned and you can smell their flavours coming through, add the asafoetida and then the chopped onions. Braise the onions till they turn translucent and slightly brown, then transfer the onions from the frying pan to a small bowl. This ensures that the onions don’t overcook or burn.
Add 2 Tbsp oil to the frying pan and place back onto the heat. Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli to the oil and as soon as you can smell their flavours, add the okra.
Flavour with salt, turmeric, dhana jeeroo and red chilli powders.
At this point you may notice the okra releasing some stickiness, just leave it to cook without the lid on. You’ll know that the okra is cooked when the bright green colour comes through and the okra turns soft. Take care not to overcook as it will dry out once it is served or when it’s reheated.
Once the okra is cooked, add the onions back to the frying pan. The slightly browned onions add a ton of flavour as well as extra moisture so that the okra doesn’t dry out. Give the okra and onions a good toss.
Garnish with fresh curry leaves and chopped coriander.

My first time cooking okra