Okramedium size - approx 50 (It was more than ¾ lb)
Shallots - 5
Grated coconut - ¼ cup
Oil - 1 tbsp + 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Hing - ¼ tsp
Curry leaves - few
Turmeric Powder - ¼ tsp
Peanuts - ¼ cup
Sambar Powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 1.5 tsp
Yogurt - 1 tbsp
Instructions
Prep - Work
Chop the okra into small pieces.
Chop the shallots into small pieces.
Steps
In heavy bottom pan or kadai, heat the oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, and hing.
As the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the curry leaves and chopped shallots.
Cook until the onion turns translucent.
Then add the peanuts and turmeric powder and saute for a couple of minutes.
Now add the chopped okra, sambar powder, and salt. Mix them well and let it cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.
I usually do not cover and cook okra. I keep the kadai open and kept stirring them for every 2 minutes.
After 5 minutes, the okra will be gooey. Add this stage add the yogurt. The yogurt removes the stickiness from okra. But when you add it initially, the okra will become more sticky but slowly the stickiness wears away.
After adding yogurt, cook again for 5 to 6 minutes until the stickiness is gone.
Now add two more tsp of oil and cook for a couple of minutes in medium heat or let it roast for about 5 minutes over low heat until the crust forms.
Finally, add the grated coconut and mix well.
Let it cook for a minute and turn off the heat. It took me a total of 15 minutes.
That's it. Okra curry is ready.
Notes
Instead of shallots, regular onion can be used. Also, there is no set measure for peanut and coconut. You can add as per your preference. Coconut can be skipped too. Adding yogurt is to remove the stickiness from okra. Instead, besan and fine sooji can be used too. Before adding coconut, you can let the okra to form the brown crust by cooking over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes. Adjust the salt and spice as per your preference.