Stir-Fried Okra (South-Indian Style)

This is my favorite way of having a lot of the vegetables, although it is not the best way to cook keeping health in mind. This goes well with bland gravies, plain Pulav's of even Indian breads like Phulkas.

Ingredients:

Serves Two

500 gms of Okra
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
2-3 tsps Red Chilli Powder
2-3 tsps Curry powder
1 tbsp hung Curd
1 tbsp Tamarind Pulp
Salt to taste
Oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp deskinned Black Lentils
1 tsp deskinned split Garbenzo beans
a dash of Aesofatida

Method:

Wash the Okra, wipe them dry and closely slice breadthwise discarding the caps. Keep aside. Add about 2-3 tbsps of oil to a frying pan. Now temper with mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add black lentils, garbenzo beans and aesofatida. As soon as the lentils and beans turn golden brown, add Okra. Stir briefly and add all the powders and salt to taste. Mix well. Add the hung curd and keep stirring so that the Okra doesn't burn. Add the tamarind pulp and mix well. Keep stirring until all the Okra have cooked and turn crisp. You might have add a little more oil if you want them crispier. Transfer to a bowl once done and serve hot.

Note:

Adding hung curd is so that the Okra pieces don't cling to each other and make the dish one whole lump of cooked vegetable. It is preferrable to use hung curd so that the excess water doesn't in turn infuse into the dish.
Adding tamarind pulp is purely optional. This is just even out the excess spice I like to have it with.
If you want a much healthier version, just reduce the amount of oil you use and keep stirring only until cooked and not till they turn crisp.
Never cook with the pan closed as it make the dish soggy.
Take care a wipe the Okra dry before cooking as this too can make the dish soggy.