PinOkra is probably one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. This is not news to the okra-haters but the sliminess, ugh. I disliked okra heartily as a child and while my mom did try to get creative with it (okra aviyal, anyone?), I would still be cranky if an okra dish was on the table. All that said, at some point during my cooking escapades, okra slowly made it into my kitchen. My first foray into tolerating okra was through okra sambar (or vendakka sambar as it’s more popularly called). That recipe was a winner and soon I found myself making Okra aviyal, dahi okra masala, aloo okra dry sabzi, okra fry, okra masala with besan and many more such recipes. Pin Pro tip:How to get rid of the slime (stickiness) in okra? There are a few things to keep in mind. – First is the preparation of okra before cooking. Wash the okra and pat dry completely with a dry kitchen towel or paper napkins. Let them sit for a while and lose all moisture outside before you cut them. Slice into thin pieces, horizontally works better to get rid of slime, in my experience (see picture below). Pin – If you are frying the okra3, then that takes care of the slime. If you are making a gravy or sabzi with okra, make sure the heat is turned on higher than normal and you cook by stirring the okra constantly. – Adding besan, plain flour or corn flour also absorbs the stickiness quite a bit. Step by Step Okra Masala Recipe: Wash and slice the okra and onions for cooking Pin Heat oil and add the mustard seeds. Pin When they start to pop and the sliced onions. Fry until pink and transparent Pin Add the sliced okra and mix well. Saute for a few minutes Pin Add the turmeric, hing, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste (if using), curry leaves, and jeera powder. Pin Mix well and stir-fry on medium-high heat until the okra gets cooked soft. This will take about 5 mins. If the okra starts to burn, sprinkle some water very sparingly, and continue to stir and fry. Pin Add salt, mix well, and remove from fire. Serve okra masala hot with rice and some kuzhambu. For Okra Masala recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.
