Okra curry

Okra curry (my version of Bhindi Sukha)

Adapted from a dish cooked for me by Bhaskar Battacharrya

Ingredients

Good handful of okra per person
dried chilli seeds
panch phoran
1 onion
asafoetida powder (hing)

Wash the okra.. Leave to dry. The top and tail them and slice into one inch pieces.

In a heavy bottom saucepan, fry a couple of crumbled dried chillies in vegetable oil or ghee. After 5 min, add 1/2 tablespoon panch phoran, allow to sparkle for a few seconds. Add a chopped onion, when it is a golden colour, add 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder. Stir in the okra. Add just enough water to stop the food catching on the bottom of the pan. Put the lid and cook an a low heat for 15 min. Add a little more water during cooking if necessary.

Panch phoran is mixture of cumin, black mustard, nigella, fenugreek and fennel seeds. Sold in Asian shops or add individual spices.

Note: The number of dried chillies added depends on how hot the chillies are and how hot you like the dish. I buy a large packet and experiment . Alternatively, you can leave them out and add chilli powder at the onion stage.

At this point, you can also add thinly sliced fresh chillies (red or green). I usually deseed them.