Do you tend to be a regular at certain restaurants and also have regular things you’d order from them, no matter however many times you’ve had it before? I’m sure you’re nodding. Well Dishoom in London is one of those restaurants that makes we want to keep going back. And although I do tend to try out new dishes every other time, there are certain dishes that I’d NEVER not order. Okra Fries are one of those! So much so that I had to try and recreate them myself.
Every dish has a memory attached to it, like every smell or place you’ve visited. Okra Fries takes me back to the first time my closest friends in London went to Dishoom for the first time. I still remember us craving for some really good ‘authentic’ Indian food, just as you’d find in India. Without the fancy small plates, and without ‘deconstructed’ chaats. Just simply give us the real deal. Thats where Dishoom ticked all the boxes for us. I’ve now lost count of how many times I’ve been to Dishoom, i.e. ordered Okra Fries.
Okra has been a family favourite and whilst I used to always use it to make my Bhindi Masala, it never crossed my to ever try making the fries. Until the one time that I did. I could never look at Okra the same way again – every time I’d want to make these delicious super easy Fries.
You just need a few ingredients to make these Okra Fries, and trust me when I say it’ll taste just like at Dishoom. Sorry guys at Dishoom, this dish is too tasty to not share.
Not only are these easy to make, they are healthy while being super delicious and mind you quite addictive too. Don’t let the sliminess of Okra put you off, try this once and you’ll be serving this as a starter, sometimes as a main (move aside regular chips/fries), and definitely when you’ve invited people over for lunch/brunch or dinner. This dish is a winner all around.
| Prep Time | 10 mins |
| Cook Time | 20 mins |
| Servings |
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- 300 gm okra fresh
- 1/2 inch Ginger peeled and grated
- 3-4 cloves garlic peeled and grated
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- pinch asafoetida or hing optional
- Salt to taste
- 3-4 tbsp gram flour or besan
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp Semolina or rawa
- Vegetable Oil for frying
- 1 tsp Chaat Masala If you don’t have Chaat masala, then combine cumin powder and rock salt and sprinkle
Ingredients
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- Wash the okra and pat dry with a tea towel or paper napkin. Take the tops off and slit lengthways, don’t cut into half though.
- In a large bowl, combine the spices with 2-3 tsp of water, just so that they form a paste. Add the Okra to the spice mix and gently coat the okra with the spices.
- Heat the oil in a deep heavy bottomed pan.
- Now sprinkle the spiced okra with the flours - gram flour, semolina (will add the crispiness) and corn flour will bind the coating to the okra. Toss the okra very gently.
- Fry the okra in small batches until they turn golden. Transfer over a dish lined with kitchen paper.
- Serve the okra sprinkled with chaat masala/ cumin & rock salt mix. Enjoy.
