Buck's Crisp Okra — Kurkuri Bhindi
Crisp okra is a delightful surprise to the person who thinks every okra dish must be soft and slippery. This kurkuri bhindi is a traditional Indian style of snack or side, and this version,will taste of okra first, with a thin crisp coating and a tart, savory finish.
For four, as a side
- 1 pound fresh okra
- 4 tablespoons chickpea flour and 2 tablespoons rice flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon New Mexico chile powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon amchur
- Neutral oil for shallow frying, enough for a roughly 3/8-inch layer in your pan
- Lemon wedges to serve
Prepare and fry
Wash the okra and dry it thoroughly before cutting. Trim the stems without cutting away too much of the pod, then split each pod lengthwise into narrow strips. Put the strips in a bowl with the chickpea flour, rice flour, cumin, chile powder, measured salt and half the chaat masala. Toss until lightly coated. The coating should cling to the cut surfaces rather than become a thick wet paste. If absolutely needed, use just a few drops of water; wet okra will cook differently.
Warm the oil in a broad heavy pan. Test with one coated strip: it should sizzle promptly and steadily, without the coating instantly darkening. Fry the okra in small batches, turning gently until the coating is crisp and the vegetable is tender. Do not crowd the pan. Lift each batch onto a rack over a tray so excess oil drains without the strips sitting in a puddle.
Combine the remaining chaat masala and amchur. Sprinkle lightly over the hot okra, taste one strip and decide whether it needs any more. Serve promptly with lemon wedges.
A crisp coating is the goal
The chickpea provides a savory coating and the rice flour helps keep it light.
Tips for a second batch
If the coating is heavy, reduce the flour slightly and check how much moisture was left on the okra. Drier is better than wet. If it comes out oily rather than crisp, the pan may have cooled when too much okra went in at once. If the finish is too salty, use less chaat masala before changing the whole recipe. If the tartness feels sharp, reduce amchur and let people add their own lemon.