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Bhindi Kurkuri

(recipe, Megan Scott)


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Introduction

This recipe was adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's book How to Cook Indian.

Ingredients

  1. 1 lb. tender okra
  2. 1½ tsp. kosher salt
  3. ½ tsp. black pepper
  4. 1 tsp. ground Thai chiles (or less if you're sensitive to heat)
  5. 1 tsp. garam masala or ½ teaspoon each ground cumin, coriander, and mustard seeds
  6. ½ tsp. dried mango powder or sumac (both can be found in Asian markets)
  7. ¼ cup chickpea flour (sometimes labeled as besan)
  8. 1 cup peanut or vegetable oil
  9. 1½ tsp. lime juice

Steps

  1. Wash and dry the okra. Trim the stem ends, and slice the okra thinly lengthwise.
  2. In a large bowl, toss the okra with the salt, pepper, chile powder, garam masala, and mango powder or sumac. Let sit while the oil heats up. Just before frying, add the chickpea flour.
  3. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting, and have ready a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
  4. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. A good trick for knowing when the oil is hot enough is to stick a bamboo skewer or chopstick down into the oil to touch the bottom of the pan. If small bubbles immediately begin to rise to the surface of the oil around the skewer, the oil is ready. You can also designate a sacrificial piece of okra to test the oil.
  5. Turn the heat down to medium and add the okra in batches, being sure to give the slices enough room. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and brown the other side. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the okra to the baking sheet and place in the warm oven. Fry the remaining okra.
  6. Sprinkle the fried okra with lime juice and serve hot.