Dry Okra

One food that I have consistently loved throughout my whole life is fried okra.  Once I got older, I also developed a fondness for smothered okra.  .. and those are about the only two  ways I've had okra.  So when I came  across this recipe for dry okra, I just had to try it.   It's an Indian dish, but I think anyone would like it.  

Dry Okra
(Recipe adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking)

• 1 lb fresh okra (I used the frozen, chopped kind)
• 8 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground amchoor or lemon juice
• 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Wipe the okra pods with dampened kitchen paper. Pat dry. Cut off the conical top and the very tip or each okra pod and then cut the pods, crosswise, into 7mm-1 cm (1/3 - 1/2 inch) segments.

Put the oil in a large, preferably non-stick, frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the cumin seeds. Let the seeds sizzle for 10 seconds. Put in the onions and okra, spreading the okra out evenly in the pan. Fry, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes, spreading the okra out evenly in the pan each time you stir. The onions should begin to brown by this time. Turn the heat to medium and continue to stir and fry the same way for another 5 minutes. Be gentle as you stir. Put in the salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, amchoor or lemon juice and cayenne pepper.

Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring or tossing gently as you do so.