Okra is known to help in with disease like asthma, diabetes, liver disease, breast cancer and Alzheimer’s. This vegetable curbs hunger and provides strength. It is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, it helps fortify bones, while also improving your eyesight. We make okra in many ways. The most common is fried crisp and have it as a side dish with lentil soup (dal) and rice. Here’s a recipe, for the weekly column, exclusively for Different Truths.

Okra (also known as ladies finger) is super charged vegetable, as it is known to help in with disease like asthma, diabetes, liver disease, breast cancer and Alzheimer’s. This vegetable curbs hunger and provides strength. It is rich in vitamins A, C, and K, it helps fortify bones, while also improving your eyesight.

We make okra in many ways. The most common is fried crisp and have it as a side dish with lentil soup (dal) and rice.

My family like to have the okra dry masala dish, which goes fabulous well with roti, naan or paratha. I often make this dish for my husband to take along with roti for his lunch during weekdays.

Here is the simple and easy recipe of okra masala.

Okra Masala

Prep time: 5 mins                                               Cook time: 15 mins

For: main or side dish                                        Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

Okra 250 grams (Fresh, washed and chopped in an inch sized pieces. Frozen one packet, thawed, drained and dried)

Oil 3tbsp

Mustard seeds 1tsp

Onion 1 big (chopped fine)

Tomato 1 big (chopped fine)

Garlic 2 big pods (chopped fine)

Ginger 2 inch (grated)

Green chilly (chopped)

Coriander powder 1tsp

Asafoetida ½ tsp

Amchur powder (dry mango powder) 1tsp

Garam Masala 1 ½ tsp

Turmeric Powder 1tsp

Red chili flakes 2 tsps

Salt to taste

Method

Keep the washed and chopped okras on a kitchen towel so it soaks away excess liquid.

In a flat bottom pan pour oil and heat.

Splutter the mustard seeds and chili flakes.

Add the chopped garlic.

Then subsequently add chopped onions, tomato and ginger.

Sprinkle turmeric and salt.

Fry for few mins till the masala lets out oil.

Add the asafetida and then the cut okra.

Reduce the heat to medium.

Stir for a few and add garam masala, coriander powder and amchur powder.

Stir from bottom up and let it cook without covering.

Add the green chilies and keep cooking till the strings disappear and the okra looks cooked.

Check the salt and switch of the heat.

Let it stand for a few mins and then pour it into the serving dish.

Enjoy delicious okra masala with hot roti or paratha.

You can pair it with dal and rice too.

©Anumita Chatterjee Roy

Photos by the author

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Anumita Roy

Anumita Roy is an artist at heart and legal/medical interpreter by profession. She creates word images in her verses and loves to write short stories. Mother of children in the spectrum, she advocates special needs issues in whichever way possible. Born in India, brought up in several countries, makes her a true global citizen. She now lives in the Columbus, Ohio, with her family and follows her passion for writing and advocacy being the Managing Editor of Different Truths.

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