Bhindi Masala / Curried Okra

Okra has a bad reputation in the West for being a slimy vegetable. But in the Eastern part of the world, when cooked/fried right, okra is a wonderful, delicious vegetable! Vendakkai curry, as we call it in Tamizh, was my most favorite vegetable side-dish when I was young. Every young kid in Tamil Nadu grew up believing that eating okra would make their brains stronger and make them better in Mathematics. I really hoped that would be true, but that hope didn't come to fruition in my case. 

This version of okra curry is a North-Indian version. It is spicy and finger-licking good. The "secret" to making this dish the right way is to fry the okra and the masala mixture separately, and then mix the two together. Lip smacking good!

Ingredients (serves 4):

1. 4.5 cups chopped okra (cut the okra into 1.5-2" pieces) (wash the okra, dry them well, and then cut, else they will be mushy and won't fry)
2. 1 medium - large onion, sliced or finely chopped
3. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
4. 3 garlic pods + 1" block of ginger crushed together
5. 1 teaspoon jeera / cumin seeds
6. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
7. 1 teaspoon coriander powder
8. 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder (add more for a spicier version)
9. 2 teaspoons kitchen king masala / tava fry masala, or 1 teaspoon garam masala
10. 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
11. 1 teaspoon salt or as needed

Preparation:

Do in parallel (1 and 2):

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet. When hot, fry/cook the okra (without closing the skillet or sprinkling water or adding any salt). Add a little more oil, if needed. Let the okra fry and cook until almost fully done. 
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in another skillet/pan on medium heat. When hot, add jeera and wait for it to sizzle. Add onion and fry until slightly brown.  Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds to a minute. 
1. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt, and coriander powder. Fry for a few seconds. Add masala powder of your choice and fry for a few more seconds.
2. Add tomato paste and fry for about 10 minutes until the paste leaves the sides of the pan. If it is too dry, sprinkle a little water and mix.
3. When the okra is done, add it to the onion-tomato masala and gently stir to combine. Cook for 2-5 minutes on low heat to let the okra absorb the flavors.

Remove from heat and serve as a side-dish with rotis or rice.