Okra Supreme
BHINDI SABJI
-Recipe from Yamuna mataji
For many cooks okra is an unknown vegetable. If they have ever eaten
it, it may have been in the American south as part of a gumbo or stew,
or deep-fried in a corn batter. Few, however, would ever buy it to
family or guests. Yet this stir-fried okra is easy to make, and so
delicious that it will surprise even the reluctant. Okra is a summer
vegetable, at its best in June or July, but you may find it as early as
April and as late as September. The pods should be small -3-4 inches
(7.5-10 cm) long –and the pointed end will snap off it fresh; when the
pods are old, the ends will only bend. The cut pods release a glutinous
sap, so the rinsed okra must be dried thoroughly on paper towels before
it is cut, to prevent excessive stickiness. Since this is a pan-fried
vegetable, cooked with out water, a nonstick frying pan is ideal, using
a minimal amount menu, of oil to yield the lightly browned vegetable.
Serve it on almost any Vedic lunch or dinner menu.
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
1 pound (455 g) fresh okra
3-4 table spoons (45-60 ml) ghee or peanut oil
1 ½ table spoons (22 ml) ground coriander
½ teaspoon (2 ml) ground cumin
¼ teaspoon (1 ml) paprika or cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon (2 ml) garam masala
½ teaspoon (2 ml) turmeric
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1.
Wash the okra and dry thoroughly on paper towels. (If it is warm
day, air-dry in the sun.) Trim off the tip and stem, and slice into
rounds 1/3 inch (1 cm) thick.
2. In a large, heavy
frying pan, preferably nonstick, heat the ghee or oil over moderately
high heat. When it is hot but not smoking, add the okra in a single
layer and reduce the heat to moderate. Cook for about 20 minutes,
stirring occasionally to brown the okra evenly. Toward the end, add the
ground spices, raise the heat to moderately high and, stirring
steadily, fry until golden brown and fully cooked. Remove the pan from
the heat, sprinkle with salt, toss to coat the okra evenly, and let it
sit, covered, for 1 minute before serving.