Okra has a very special place in the Asian cuisine. Every Asian country has their version of cooking okra but ofcourse India has way too many of them. The one here is a very quick spiced stir fry version which goes really well with rotis or parathas or even with daal and rice.
There are other versions of making Okra like in a mustard flavoured gravy or yoghurt flavored gravy to name few of them. But this recipe uses no onion or garlic thus qualifying for a Sattvik diet (Yogi Meal). The addition of peanuts make it crunchy and brings an interesting texture.
Okra with crunchy peanuts
Shengdana ghalun bhendi chi bhaji
- 500 g okra
- 4 tbsp peanuts (unroasted)
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- ½ tsp black mustard seed
- 6 curry leaves
- 2 green rawit peppers (halved lengthwise)
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 lime (quartered)
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 5 g coriander (coarsely chopped)
- Remove the ends of the okra and cut the okra into pieces 1½-2 centimeters thick. Set aside.
- Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat and roast the peanuts in it for 8-10 minutes, stirring. Coarsely grind the peanuts in a mortar and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the mustard seeds in it. After 1 minute, add the curry leaves and rawit peppers. After another 1 minute, add the okra, turmeric powder, chili powder and salt and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
- Raise the heat, squeeze 2 lime wedges over the okra and fry the wedges in the wok while stirring. After 5 minutes, add the coarsely ground peanuts, sugar and the garam masala and fry for a further 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add in the coriander. Serve with the remaining lemon. Delicious with flat bread