This dry curried okra is simple to make and works beautifully as a vegan side for an Indian meal. If you’ve wondered how to cook okra, this stir-fry is a great place to start.
I love cooking. It’s one of the reasons I started this blog and why I’m still writing it nearly eight years on. Cooking and food blogging give me the chance to learn new techniques and explore ingredients, so gifts for me often involve cookbooks or food experiences.
This curried okra is a recipe I learned in a vegetarian Indian cookery class run by Anila. It’s straightforward, full of flavour and makes a tasty accompaniment to a larger meal.
What is okra?
Okra is a green, tapering vegetable with a hollow tube-like shape and small white seeds inside. Often called ladies’ fingers or bhindi in India, it has become more widely available and you can find fresh or frozen varieties. When selecting okra, choose pods that are firm and bright green — avoid ones that feel bendy or show brown spots. The surface is slightly fuzzy, but that disappears when cooked.
How do you cook okra?
There are many ways to prepare okra. In this recipe it’s pan-fried until slightly crispy — a popular method in India where the dish is frequently called bhindi masala. Okra can become somewhat slimy if wet, so wash it, pat it dry thoroughly with a tea towel, and cut it into pieces. Use a large frying pan and don’t overcrowd it so the pieces fry instead of steaming. The result should retain a bit of bite with the spices coating each piece.
The inspiration for this recipe
I first tried this recipe during a cookery class with Anila, a local vendor I often buy Indian sauces from at our market. I’d long wanted to take one of her classes, and my husband kindly gave me a full-day vegetarian Indian cookery class as a present.
The vegetarian Indian cookery class
The class was small, so I got hands-on with every dish. Over the day I prepared recipes for a thali platter, including dry curried okra; a potato, aubergine and pea curry; two different dals; a carrot, cabbage and chilli stir-fry; saag paneer; raita; chapatis; khandvi; and halva. I brought home enough for dinner that evening and leftovers for the next day. Since then I’ve remade several of the dishes at home, including the okra with a potato and aubergine curry and some chapatis. Chapatis are easy to make — they may not always look perfectly round, but they taste great.
Recipe
Dry Curried Okra
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 250 g okra, washed, dried and cut into 1 cm pieces
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon desiccated coconut (or use sesame seeds or chopped cashew nuts)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan. When hot, add the asafoetida and cumin seeds. After about 30 seconds, add the okra.
- Stir-fry the okra for a couple of minutes, then add the turmeric, chilli, coriander and cumin powders. Cover the pan and cook for a further 2–3 minutes, until the okra is cooked but still has a little bite.
- Meanwhile, toast the desiccated coconut in a dry saucepan until lightly golden and fragrant.
- Serve the okra with the toasted coconut sprinkled on top.
Notes
Nutritional information is approximate and provided as a guideline.
Nutrition
More Curry Recipes
If you enjoy spiced dishes, I have a collection of easy homemade curry recipes. A few favourites include Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry (gluten free), Comforting Red Lentil Soup with Curry Spices, Chicken Tikka with a homemade marinade, and a dairy-free chicken curry. I also like a roasted cauliflower curry and cauliflower pakoras for lighter options.
Keep in touch
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