Coconut Curry Okra (Vendakka paal)
The perfect summer curry.
I first tried vendakka paal at one of my favourite Indian restaurants years back, but while it was a staple on the menu they rarely had the okra available. Now that I’ve played around and made my own recipe for this delicious dish I won’t ever have to miss out again!
What I love about this recipe is how light the flavours are — the lemon juice really brightens the taste and pairs so well with the coconut milk and sweet onions.
I’ve put a few extra tips for cooking your okra below, so don’t forget to check them out. For this recipe be sure to give your pods a double rinse once chopped to remove the excess stickiness. The gooiness might be a bit strange if this is your first go working with the vegetable, but it works great as a thickener for your sauce and is undetectable once you’re ready to plate this beauty. — CFG
Ingredients:
20-25 okra, stems removed
3 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 medium sweet onion, chopped into 1/2” chunks
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 a lemon, juiced (~2 tbsp)
1 can coconut milk
2-3 sprigs of fresh curry leaves
salt to taste
Directions:
Wash 20-25 okra pods and pat them dry with a kitchen/paper towel. Next, cut the pods into 1 1/2” chunks (or keep whole to reduce stickiness) and rinse again under cold water for ~1 minute. Set aside.
In a large pan add 2 tbsp of coconut oil and half of a sweet onion, chopped into 1/2” chunks. Cook on medium heat until the onions become translucent (but not brown). Add in the okra and continue cooking on medium heat until the okra begins to wilt (~5 min).
Add the remaining 1 tbsp of coconut oil to the pan along with 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of chilli powder, and the juice of half a lemon. Still until fully incorporated and remove from heat.
In a large saucepan add 1 can of coconut milk and mix until smooth. Add in 2-3 sprigs of fresh curry leaves and then add the vegetable mixture to the pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for ~7-10 minutes and continue to stir occasionally to allow liquid to reduce by about a third.
Remove the sprigs of leaves and discard. Add salt to taste.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes:
The sliminess of okra pods is actually rich in fibre and can help with digestion. Soaking pods in a vinegar-water bath (1 cup to 1 litre) may also reduce stickiness. You can also lower the gooey factor by cutting the pods into larger chunks or keeping them intact when cooking.
