Name: Tart Okra with Mustard Seeds & Tamarind (Vendakkai Bhajee)
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 1½ teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt; 1 teaspoon Sambhar masala; 2 tablespoons canola oil; 1 pound fresh okra, rinsed and thoroughly dried; 1 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds; 15 to 20 medium-size to large fresh curry leaves; 1 tablespoon skinned split black lentils (cream-colored in this form, urad dal), picked over for stones; 1 teaspoon tamarind paste or concentrate; ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

660 Curries

By Raghavan Iyer

Published 2008

About

During my childhood years, okra was a staple in my mother’s kitchen, served at least once a week. This curry was by far my favorite: The spices in the Sambhar masala, which are assertive yet mellow, and the tart tamarind create a harmonious balance that only abets my obsession with okra.

Ingredients

1 pound fresh okra, rinsed and thoroughly dried
2 tablespoons canola oil
1

Asia
India
Side dish
Main course
Vegan
Gluten-free

Method

Trim the caps off the okra without cutting into the pods, and cut the pods into ½-inch-thick rounds.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cover the skillet, and cook until the seeds have stopped popping (not unlike popcorn), about 30 seconds. Add the lentils and stir-fry until they turn golden brown, 15 to 20 seconds. Immed

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Ingredients

Method

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