Indian Fried Okra in Yoghurt

From The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking, by Yamuna Devi, Bala Books, E.P. Dutton, New York, 1987. ISBN 0-545-24564-2.

Called Bhindi Raita, this is a wonderful okra dishes: Fried-to-a-crisp okra in spiced-up yoghurt.

Ingredients

Oil for shallow-frying
1 lb fresh okra, washed, dried, trimmed of their caps, and sliced lengthwise into quarters
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups plain yoghurt
1/2 dry roasted, ground cumin
1 teaspoon chopped fresh coriander
3 tablespoons chickpea flour (sifted before measuring) (opt)

Directions

Shallow-fry (1/4-inch oil) the okra over moderate-high heat until the okra is crisp and browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. While the okra is hot, sprinkle it with the garam masala, cayenne, ground coriander and half of the salt.

Place the yoghurt into a one-quart bowl, and add the remaining salt and all but half a teaspoon each of the cumin and fresh coriander. Whisk with a fork until smooth and creamy.

If using the chickpea flour, dry-roast it in a small heavy pan over moderate heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. When it darkens a couple of shades and smells nutty, transfer to a bowl to cool.

If you do these steps 1 to 2 hours ahead of time, then don't assemble the salad yet. Instead, refrigerate the yoghurt and leave the okra uncovered in a 200F (95C) oven. Of course, you need not do them 1-2 hours ahead of time... Before serving, add the okra to the yoghurt, sprinkle with the chickpea flour, and gently stir. Sprinkle with the remaining cumin, coriander/parsely and a pinch of paprika before serving.

Serves 4-6

Comments

We ignored the chickpea flour.

Jim Plank

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