Bendakay Vepudu-Okra Fry

My brother is a huge fan of okra and he used finish the entire curry in one go.This recipe is my moms way of making okra,an Andhra Recipe.The fiber in okra helps stabilize blood sugar and the slime binds to bad cholesterol and bile and helps in purifying these.The older generation in India always ask kids to eat Okra because they believe it improves the sharpness of the brain.

Preparation time:35 minutes

Serves:4

Ingredients:

3 cups Bendakaya/Okra pieces(cut into 1/2 inch slices)

1/3 cup diced Onion

1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds

3 garlic Cloves diced

 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder

1 sprig curry  leaves

Salt to taste

1 tablespoon oil or ghee

1/2 teaspoon chana dal

1/2 teaspoon urad dal

1 tablespoon roasted peanut powder(optional)-you can also use roasted whole peanuts
juice of half a lemon

Procedure:

1.Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, add the chana dal and urad dal and let brown lightly.

2.Add the cumin seeds and the curry leaves and let splutter.

3.Add the onion and garlic, turmeric and salt and saute for 3-4 minutes or until translucent.

4.Add the okra and saute for a 2 minutes on high flame.Squeeze half a lemon and stir.Turn down the heat to medium-low and cover with lid and let cook for about 20 minutes stirring in between to prevent burning.

5.When the okra is soft(it will turn color) evenly sprinkle the red chili powder and groundnut powder and gently mix  and let cook for 2 more minutes  and switch off the stove.

Tips:

In step 4,if you want to remove the sliminess of the okra you can add yogurt, lemon juice,tamarind paste, dried mango powder(amchur), kokum or some flour.

Cook on a lower flame or your okra will get smashed by the time they get cooked. Do not stir too much.