Fried Okra – Guest Post by Sridevi R of Coconut Craze

Sridevi of Coconut Craze was one the earliest bloggers I started to follow when I started my blog. I was drawn to the eclectic mix of subjects and recipes she posted. 🙂 I have tried several of her recipes (her Egg curry/ Egg roast/Spicy egg masala has now become a staple in our home) and her comments have inspired some of my posts like the one on Mathanga Erissery.

True to her generous spirit, Sridevi readily agreed to my request for a guest post and here is a delicious spicy, crunchy batter-coated Fried Okra recipe from her.

Do visit Sridevi’s blog at http://coconutcraze.wordpress.com/ and explore her wonderful posts about food and other subjects!

Over to Sridevi. 🙂

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When our wonderful blogger friend Aruna asked me to do a guest post I was thrilled but had to delay it due to other engagements. Finally, when I caught my breath, Fried Okra is the recipe of my choice as I have been planning it for a while. I had this at a little diner in a small town that offers a variety of special foods and this okra got stuck in my mind.

Fried okra is easy to prepare and delicious just like any other fried food and a good snack on a rainy evening. It is a classic dish from the Southern States of USA. The original recipe uses egg to coat the okra pieces but I used buttermilk and some Indian spices to add some more flavour. Alternately, green chilli, ginger and garlic paste can be tried to spice up the coating mixture.

Ingredients

• 10-12 fresh okra (Lady’s finger)
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup yellow corn meal
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder or pepper powder
• salt
• oil for frying

Method

1. Wash and dry fresh okra. (I tried it with frozen okra too…ah, not so good.)
2. Chop them into 1 inch pieces after removing the top and bottom tips.
3. Take buttermilk in a bowl.
4. Add okra pieces to the butter milk and coat all the pieces and remove them.
5. Mix corn meal, flour, salt, cumin powder, coriander powder and chilli powder in a plastic bag.
6. Put the okra pieces in the plastic bag and shake well to coat all the pieces with the mixture.
7. Let it stand for a few minutes.
8. Heat oil in a pan and fry okra in small batches till the outside is golden brown.
9. Drain them on a paper towel and serve hot.

Fried okra is very crispy and crunchy when eaten hot. They have a crusty exterior and the goodness of okra inside. This is the best way to tempt kids who are fussy eaters to snack on okra. Use it as a side dish with rice or flat breads.