Crispy, spicy okra fried with mango is so tasteful recipe that can be a side dish, appetizer or simply eaten with rice and plain bread. Growing up in Pakistan, my mom used to prepare it with various spices. In my fusion experiment, I like to add fresh mango salsa.

Ingredients:

• 1-pound okra, ‘bhindi’, cut into thinly sliced
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon mango powder, ‘amchur powder’
• ½ cup gram flour, ‘besan’
• 1 tablespoon cornflour
• 1 tablespoon roasted combination of spice powder (1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon raw coriander, and 2 teaspoons crushed red chili flakes; combine and roast on a low flame, and then grind into a powdered form)
• Lime wedges
• 1 cup crispy, fried onions
• 2 cups cooking oil
• Salt according to taste

Mango salsa:

• 2 fresh mangos, peeled and diced
• 2-3 red Thai chili, thinly sliced
• ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Salt according to taste

Method:

Prepared mango salsa:

In a medium bowl add the mango, Thai red chili, cilantro, lime juice, honey, salt, and mix well. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add okra slices, turmeric powder, red chili powder, mango powder, roasted combination powder, gram flour, cornflour, and mix well. Marinate okra in the spice’s mixture for about 25-30 minutes.

Heat oil in a large heavy wok in high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add a batch of marinated okra and fry until they turn golden brown and crispy. Then place the fried okra on a kitchen paper towel so that the oil is drained out.

Tip: Ensure that the oil is hot, otherwise the okra will absorb oil and become soggy.

Gently combine salt and crispy fried onion with fried okra, and mix well. Serve crispy fried okra with mango salsa and lime wedges.