Okra curry (Bendakaya koora)

                       

From my school days, i never liked okra curry that much though i was a big fan of the okra sambar. I always made excuses eating it.Two years back when i went to India, i saw this show of sanjeevkapoor where he made the okra curry. I instantly fell in love with it and now this curry is one of my favourites.

I didnot try this recipe in India, i was too busy eating my mom’s food.  I did try when i got back to U.S and i am glad to share this with everyone. I did make some changes from the original recipe.

Ingredients:

• okra- about 20
• med onion- 1 1/2
• plum tomatoes- 2
• green chillies- 4
• chillie powder- 1/2 to 1 tsp
• lemon juice- about 1to 2 tsps
• few curry leaves
• cilantro

Procedure:

             

       Cooking Okra and onion                        Tomatoes added after Okra,onion almost cooked through

Cut the okra in half and slice each half to two or three long slices. In a non stick pan do the popu or tadka ( 4 tsps oil, few mustard seeds, 1 tsp chana dal, 1 tsp jeera, 1 dry red chillie, curry leaves and a pinch of hing) add the green chillies, okra and cook in medium heat till the okra is almost half way done.

Now add the onions ( long thin slices) and cook till okra and oninon is almost done. (I add the okra first because they take more time to cook then the onion). When the vegeteable becomes nice and tender add salt and the red chillie powder.

Then add the tomatoe, lemon juice and chooped clinatro, close the lid and turn of the stove. The heat from the stove cooks tomatoe just little bit. What tomatoe does is, it releases some of its juices to the curry but stills holds its shape because we are not cooking it too much. I like this curry with chapathi because its not too dry and its good with rice too.

                      

                                       Okra curry (Bendakaya koora)

Optional: Ginger garlic paste can also be added.

Recipe adopted from Sanjeev kapoor