Simple and easy Kerala Style Roasted Okra or Vendakka Mezhukkupuratti is a delicious vegan side that is crispy, flavorful and not slimy at all.
Okra, or Lady’s Finger in Indian and British English, is an extremely popular vegetable that is used to make some of the most delicious vegetarian sides in Indian cuisine. The green long pods sometimes intimidate people as it has a tendency to get slimy while cooking.
The whole topic about Okra or Bhindi being slimy and all the different cooking methods and prepping methods used to avoid that slime is a whole entire topic altogether. I do have some tips in this post about how to get the okra to be crispy and not slimy.
One of the techniques is the method of cooking, that is roasting in high heat, so it crisps up and loses all that slime. That is how we make this recipe of Roasted Okra or Vendakka Upperi.
Vendakka is the Malayalam (language spoken in the Southern Indian state of Kerala) and the Tamil (language spoken in the Southern Indian state of Tamilnadu) word for Okra or Lady’s Finger. The more popular word, Bhindi, that you see in most Indian recipes is the Hindi word for Okra.
Why we love this Vendakka Mezhukkupuratti
- It is crispy and delicious, bringing out that innate grassy sweet flavors of Okra.
- This is a very easy recipe to make, even on busy weeknights.
- A vegan recipe
- It is a perfect vegetarian and fiber rich side to any simple Indian meal.
Ingredients in Vendakka Upperi
Vendakka Mezhukkupuratti, even though the name is quite a mouthful, the ingredients are very few and very simple. You can use diced red onions too, if you want, but I like to keep it real simple most times.
- Okra / Vendakka - fresh tender pods of okra are used in this recipe.
- Avocado Oil or any high heat oil
- Spices and herbs - Brown mustard seeds, curry leaves, ground turmeric, cayenne, ground coriander
- Salt
Method
Rinse and pat dry the okra well with a kitchen towel. This helps to make sure that the okra does not get too slimy when cooking.
Slice the okra to rounds of ¼ inch thickness.
Heat oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. The high heat is necessary to roast the okra well without any slime.
Add the mustard seeds and pop them. Toss in the curry leaves and the sliced okra.
Let the okra roast in the oil without being disturbed for a couple of minutes. Gently move around the okra so both sides of the okra and all of the okra slices get cooked well.
Once the okra starts browning a little around the edges and you no longer see strands of slime when you move the okra around or see very little of it, add the spices and salt and mix well.
Reduce heat to medium and let it cook for a few more minutes till the spices are not raw anymore and the okra is cooked through.
Recipe tips
The main tips for this recipe to to keep the okra crisp and not slimy
- Rinsing the okra and drying it very well before slicing it is very important. Make sure that the cutting board and the knife are dry as well. Moisture aggravates the slime in the okra.
- Keeping the heat to medium high is very important to get that crisp without the slime.
- Buy okra that looks fresh and green and is tender to touch. You don't want to buy the ones that are too mature. You will know the difference when you feel them in your hands.
Serving Suggestions
This vedakka mezhukkupuratti is served as a side to rice along with any curries like Sambar, Parippu Curry / Kerala Dal or Pulisseri / Kerala Curry with Yogurt.
You can also serve it as a side with rotis or chapatis as well.
Now that you have tips to make not-slimy okra, here are a few Okra recipes to try if you are up for it
- Vendakka Mappas - Okra Curry with Coconut Milk
- Vendakka Kichadi - Fried Okra in a Coconut Yogurt Sauce
- Bhindi Masala - Okra Masala
Kerala Style Roasted Okra - Vendakka Mezhukkupuratti
Ingredients
- 1 lb okra
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 6-8 curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and pat dry the okra well with a kitchen towel. This helps to make sure that the okra does not get too slimy when cooking.
- Slice the okra into rounds of ¼ inch thickness.
- Heat oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. The high heat is necessary to roast the okra well without any slime.
- Add the mustard seeds and pop them. Toss in the curry leaves and the sliced okra.
- Let the okra roast in the oil without being disturbed for a couple of minutes. Gently move around the okra so both sides of the okra and all of the okra slices get cooked well.
- Once the okra starts browning a little around the edges and you no longer see strands of slime when you move the okra around or see very little of it, add the spices and salt and mix well.
- Reduce heat to medium and let it cook for a few more minutes till the spices are not raw anymore and the okra is cooked through.
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