Fat Free Okra Fries

Madhuram — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:18:57 +0000

Priya has been a very enthusiastic participant in all my egg substitute events month after month. I think she has sent at least 30 entries so far. I can never match her contribution but I wanted to send at least one or two for her events. This month she is hosting the Microwave Easy Cooking – Snack event. I really don’t use the microwave oven that much. I heat water and I cook papads in it because we don’t deep fry it. Initially the microwaved papads didn’t suit my taste (being so used to the deep fried ones) but now have got used to it. Another little trick is I spray the appalam or the finger chips using non stick spray and then cook it for a minute in the microwave oven. This tastes really good.

I didn’t know what to send for her event. Then only I remembered my mom preparing okra (ladies’ finger in India) fries in the microwave oven. The original recipe is my grandmother’s but she deep fries it in oil. So I decided to prepare my mom’s version. I have done it with tindora (kovakkai) but not okra.

The only difficult part in this recipe is cutting the okra. You would have to cut a big batch of okra because when cooked the yield is very little. My son was relishing these fries like he would devour potato chips. It’s irresistible for adults as well. I prepared this as side dish for our lunch but we snacked so much that we didn’t have much to have with rice.

One disclaimer though, I don’t know much about microwave oven settings. The time I have given is based on my oven. So try with small increments of time with the first batch, stir it in between and proceed further. Also note that I used 2 pounds of okra, but the measurement is given only for one batch. So use seasonings accordingly.

Ingredients

Okra, slit lengthwise and then cut into 1 inch pieces 1 and 1/2 cups

Turmerice powder a pinch

Red Chili powder 1/2 teaspoon or as per taste

Salt as per taste

Besan (chickpea flour) 1/2 tablespoon

Rice flour 1/2 – 1 tablespoon

Oil (optional) 1 – 2 teaspoons

Procedure 1 Wash and dry the okra. Discard the top and bottom of the okra. Cut it lengthwise. Again split each half lengthwise. So you would have 4 finger like pieces. If the okra is big cut the pieces half midway (so 8 pieces from each okra) or use it as it is.

2 Transfer the okra pieces to a bowl. Add oil (if using) or sprinkle very little water so that the seasonings would stick to the okra.

3 Then add all the other ingredients and mix it thoroughly with your hand.

4 Make sure the plate in the microwave is clean and place the seasoned okra on it directly.

5 First I set the time for 5 minutes. Stirred it and cooked it for another 2 minutes. Be careful while stirring because the plate will be hot. Microwave oven settings vary, so chose the time considering the type of oven you are using.

6 From then on I increased the time by 30 seconds each time until I got the crispy texture. Don’t forget to stir after every 30 seconds. I did like this thrice. Be alert or else it would get burnt.

7 Taste it after a standing time of 1 minute. You would be floored by the crispiness. Repeat the same for rest of the okra.

My Notes 1 First I did it with oil and then tried it with water. Both taste the same if consumed immediately, but the one with water becomes a little chewy after a while.

2 I resisted my temptation to chow down everything to see how it fares after sometime. It stays crisp at least for 2 hours but becomes chewy later.

These microwave fried okra goes to Priya’s MEC-Savory Snacks. MEC originally created by Srivalli.

Beet Greens in Spicy Yogurt Sauce (Mor Kootu)

Madhuram — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 12:33:32 +0000

(Click on the image to see a bigger view)

Beet greens are versatile like spinach, it can be used in so many different ways. Yesterday I tried it in the traditional “Mor Kootu” recipe. “Mor” is the Tamil word for Buttermilk and Kootu or Koottu refers to a dish with stew like consistency. Koottu can either be prepared with a combination of vegetables and lentils (like toor daal, channa daal or moong dasl) or without any lentils. This Mor Kootu falls in the latter category.

Beet greens are cooked well and mixed together with a spicy yogurt/curd sauce. It is served as an accompaniment for rice and is also a very good side dish for Adai. Mor Kootu is generally prepared using any greens, chow chow (chayote squash), green cabbage.

Ingredients

Beet Greens – 1 bunch (The one which I got had 3 big beets with lot of greens)

Yogurt – 1.5 to 2 cups (Depending on the consistency you want)

Green Chillies – 4

Chickpea flour/Besan – 2 tablespoons

Cumin – 1.5 teaspoons

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Coconut, grated – 1/4 cup

Salt – As per taste

For Tempering:

Coconut oil – 2 teaspoons

Mustard Seeds – 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves – 5

Procedure 1. Finely chop the beet greens, both the leaves as well as the stems. Place it in a big bowl and fill it with water and let it stand for atleast 5 minutes. By doing this any dirt/sand in the greens would settle down in the bottom of the vessel. Now remove the greens and rinse it in cold water again.

2. I pressure cooked the beet leaves and beet stems together. Add water just enough to cover the greens and little salt too. I left it for 2 whistles.

3. Now grind together the coconut, cumin, chillies, besan. Add little water if required.

4. Mix this mixture with the yogurt and add enough water. This should be in the consistency of pancake batter or even thinner.

5. In a saucepan add the cooked greens, salt and yogurt sauce. Remove the pan from the stove after the first boil.

6. Add coconut oil in a small frying pan. Once it heats add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once it splutters pour this in the kootu.

My Notes The greens which I got this time had very thick stems. So I did remove some fibrous strands while chopping it. Usually I pressure cook beet greens and stems for 1 whistle only, but this time I left it for 2 whistles for the same reason.

I’m submitting this to Sunshine Mom’s FIC – Green event.

EgglessCooking.com | Eggless Recipes | Eggless Baking » besan

Fat Free Okra Fries

Beet Greens in Spicy Yogurt Sauce (Mor Kootu)