Summers means okra time. A vegetable that I really love. I prepare okra in several different ways. Often, I make a Punjabi style okra with sliced onions and it tastes marvellous. Similarly, I often make okra in this do pyaaza style – consisting of okra and onions. But this dish tastes vastly different from the normal okra/sliced onion dish. I wonder why. But whatever the reason, I enjoy both the versions. For me, seeing okra on the dining table is a mood lifter.
When I was initially learning cooking, the first dish I tried was an okra sambar. Not realising that okra tends to become slimy unless it is fried first, I dropped the okra straight into the coconut milk I was using to make the sambar. Boy, did the dish turn out to be one gooey mess! I have since learnt my lesson and cook okra all the time, with no disastrous results. Do try this do pyaaza – it is a heavenly dish!

Ingredients
500 gms okra (bhendi, vendakkai)
2 large onions, diced and layers separated
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi, manjal podi)
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp dried mango powder (amchur)
1 tsp garam masala
Unrefined salt to taste
Method
Wash the okra and wipe them dry with a kitchen napkin
Set them under a fan to dry completely (there must be no moisture when chopping the okra)
Chop the okra into 1″ pieces
Pre-heat the air fryer for about 10 minutes
Transfer the chopped okra into the air fryer
‘Fry’ for about 10 minutes, shaking the fryer tray once or twice so that the okra is cooked evenly
Remove from air fryer and set aside
Heat a wok and add the onions
Sauté till the onions are a light golden brown (sprinkle a little water if necessary)|
Add the okra, salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder
Mix well so that the okra is completely and evenly coated with the masala
Keep the flame low and cook, stirring often so that the okra does not stick to the bottom of the wok
Once the okra is tender and soft , remove from flame
Add garam masala and amchur
Mix well
Serve the bhendi do pyaaza with Indian flat breads or even brown/red/millet rice
Enjoy!