3-Spice Quick Okra Fry | Bhindi Fry | Vendakkai Varuval

Found all over India, okra — or ladies’ fingers as it is known here — is despised by many due to its slimy texture. But when fried with spice, this vegetable morphs into a tasty, crispy dish. This quick fix side dish pairs well will rice and dal. Or with chapattis and rotis.

Wash the ladies’ fingers and pat them dry with a paper towel. Then, and only then cut them into small (2 cm) pieces before you fry them. This reduces the slime to a great extent.

This recipe is my version of the Punjabi bhindi fry — a shorter, faster recipe — shared by an old colleague. She’s used to bring different vegetable sides with rotis everyday to work, and when pushed for the recipe, she shared obligingly. She also said that she makes every other vegetable this way! Yes. She made bitter gourd, potato and even peas this way. She’s a Punjaban and deviated from the somewhat longer version of bhindi fry in order to make quicker vegetable side dishes.

Well, from her to me to you! All you need are three spices — tumeric, chilli powder and coriander powder — and you’re good to go. Tangy and spicy, this okra fry or vendakkai varuval (in Tamil), will have you coming back for seconds.

3-SPICE QUICK OKRA FRY | BHINDI FRY | VENDAKKAI VARUVAL

2-3 servings

Ingredients

• 300 gms okra (I’ve shared the washing and cutting instructions above)
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 2 small tomatoes or 1 large tomato, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder (or less for a less spicier version — this version is only mildly spicy)
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or less, if you prefer)
• 2 teaspoons + 2 teaspoons sunflower oil

Instructions

1. Wash the okra, then pat them dry with a paper towel. Then cut them up into bite sized pieces (2 cm pieces).
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil (I used sunflower and rice bran oil; you could use sunflower or olive oil too) in a kadai and add the okra to it and fry on medium flame until it turns golden. You can turn up the heat if you want, but don’t take your eyes off the okra!
3. Empty the fried and slime-free okra into a bowl to keep aside. And add 2 teaspoons of oil to the same kadai.
4. Add onion and fry till they’re golden, on medium flame. Then add the three spice powders and fry for a minute. Now, throw in the tomatoes and fry them. After a minute, add salt.
5. Once the tomatoes are all mushy and fried, add the fried okra and stir it around for 5 minutes so it all comes together.
6. Turn off the heat and let it sit for five minutes before you serve it.

Serving: This dish is best eaten hot with rice and dal, or chapattis, or rotis.