Okra Stir-fry — Vendakka Upperi

I’ve penciled in bright sunshine and hot weather across my calendar for June, July and August. As much as I love summer that brings life, color and sparkle to the beautiful nature, I’m too hot and wilted these days, and yearning for some magical moments — some fun and joy to take my breath away. Sigh.

You are probably sick of hearing me talk about rain by now, but honestly, I’m thinking of rain. Ahhh, rain....the kind that battles against the door inviting me to step outside, get wet, toss my care, be spontaneous, splash puddles, and wash my problems away. In a desperate attempt to feel fresh and alive again; to be liberated. And then, I will not mind embracing this heat and warmth, with a renewed sense of energy. It’s a nice feeling to experience—you know what I mean?

Okay, maybe it sounds a little crazy. Really?

It’s been an incredibly busy week so far, every minute packed with activity, mostly in the running of the house as my husband is out of town. Juggling tasks in the heat of summer, wishing I could cut my to-do list short, I’ve also been in a ‘no heavy cooking’ mode lately. Ha, the perfect excuse to stay away from the warmth of the hob!

The weekend is going be busy too — it will be a wonderful occasion to spend some quality time with family and staff members, celebrating the success of our family business. Enjoying good food, sharing stories, bonding a lot, great fun times and laughs, and living in the moment. And of course, taking lots of snapshots to treasure the memories, emotions and good times. Can you hear how excited I am?

 

That’s the highlight of the week. But there’s something I forgot to share with you from last week. A simple moment of happiness. What a pleasant surprise it was to learn that my watermelon shake photo received the best photo award in the May edition of the Kerala Kitchen hosted by the sweet Sarah of Spoonful of Delight. Since food photography is a fairly new concept to me, I’m always thrilled to receive positive feedback on my pictures — it leaves me inspired to improve my work.

Today is Thursday, the weekend. My husband will be back tonight and I have a bit of catching up to do. In the meanwhile, let me leave you with a hearty stir-fry dish from Kerala, using this love me or hate me veggie, okra.

Okra is commonly known as ladies’ finger in India, and vendakka in Malayalam. Not many people are fond of this veggie due to its gooey, glutinous texture from cooking. Forget others, I myself do not enjoy okra cooked this way. To avoid sliminess, I pat dry the veggie after rinsing, and then stir-fry it in a bit of oil, uncovered, until a soft, crunchy texture is reached. Adding a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar also helps control slime.

So, here’s a simple and easy side to be served with steamed rice. And best of all no spending too much time near the hob.

But before I hop to the recipe, let me warn you that I don’t have any good shots of the cooked dish. I was so obsessed clicking the ingredients using a burlap for a rustic feel that by the time the dish was ready, I was in no mood for more styling. Sorry!

Okra stir-fry — Vendakka Upperi

Ingredients

3 cups okra, rinsed, dried, trimmed and sliced

1 cup onion, halved and sliced

2-3 green chilies, halved and slit lengthwise

10 curry leaves

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

2 1/2  tablespoon oil (oil is needed to minimize sliminess)

salt, to taste

 

Directions

In a non-stick frying pan or wok, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add mustard seeds and fry until they start to pop, about 30 seconds. Tip in fresh curry leaves, green chili and onion. Cook, uncovered, stirring often, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in okra and toss gently until combined. Cook, over low heat, uncovered, for 8 minutes or until the okra has softened. Season. 


Server hot with fish curry and steamed rice.