Bhindi do Pyaza

Before you start

• Wash the okra an hour ahead and dry each pod with a cloth. Any water left on them and the dish turns slimy.
• Cut the okra only once the pan is hot. Cut okra sitting around weeps.
• If using mustard oil, heat it to smoking first and cool it slightly before cooking to take off the raw pungency.

Method

1. Heat the mustard oil in a kadhai until it smokes faintly, then lower the heat and let it settle for 30 seconds.
2. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle, 15 seconds, then tip in the okra with 1/2 tsp salt.
3. Fry the okra on medium-high heat, stirring only every couple of minutes, for 8-10 minutes, until the edges brown and the pods stop looking sticky.Stirring constantly is what makes bhindi slimy. Leave it alone and let it sear.
4. Lift the okra out onto a plate. Add the sliced onion to the same pan and cook 4 minutes until it softens and turns gold at the edges.
5. Add the onion petals and green chillies and fry 3 minutes on high. They should stay crunchy and separate, not collapse.
6. Lower the heat, add the turmeric, coriander, chilli and fennel powders with a splash of water and fry 1 minute to bloom the spices.
7. Return the okra, add the remaining salt and toss gently for 3 minutes until everything is coated.
8. Sprinkle over the amchur and garam masala, toss once and take off the heat immediately.Amchur goes in off the flame; cooked long it goes flat and slightly bitter.

Storage

Best eaten the day it is made. Refrigerated it keeps 2 days but softens. Reheat in a dry pan on high heat, never covered, or the okra steams and goes limp.