Chopping okra

Cup of Yum
1. Rinse and wipe dry okra (bendakaya) with a clean kitchen towel. 
2. Then slice the okra in rounds of 0.5 to 0.75 inches. Before chopping the okra make sure that it is completedly dried and there is no moisture on them. After chopping the okra keep them aside.

Making masala for bendakaya fry

1. In a shallow frying pan, heat oil. Lower the heat and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urad dal (split and husked black gram).
2. Saute till the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turns golden. Make sure you don't burn them.
3. Next add 2 dry red chilies (broken and deseeded). Saute for a second or two till the red chilies change color.
4. Then add chopped onion. Stir and saute the onions till they turn translucent. stirring often on low heat.
5. Next add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).
6. Mix the spice powders with the rest of the ingredients.

Making bendakaya fry

1. Then add the chopped okra and 8 to 10 curry leaves. Stir and mix everything.
2. Add salt according to taste. Stir well again and saute on a low heat without covering the pan with a lid.
3. Keep on stirring at intervals of 3 to 4 minutes for uniform cooking.
4. Switch off the heat when the okra is done and cooked well. This takes about 12 to 14 minutes on a low heat.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves and then serve bendakaya fry as a side dish with curd-rice, sambar-rice or rasam-rice. You can also serve it with chapatis.