Bendan-Miriyapito | Easy Okra-Pepper Stir-fry
The Bendan-Miriyapito is a Okra (Ladies-finger) based basic stir-fry with peppery overtones akin to my Ivy-gourd Pepper stir-fry – the Tendli Miriyapito. A super simple recipe and an absolute saviour on those weeknights when you are in no mood to cook up a storm.
If you have followed my recipes, you already know I love using kokum skins as the tart component in my stir-fry recipes. They add a lovely visual excitement to the dish and a zing in every bite. You can definetely use lime juice or tamarind but it won’t have the same effect as the kokum skins as mentioned above. But, irrespective of what tart component you use in this dish, it has a very important role to play. Read on to know more!
How to make Bendan-Miriyapito
To begin with, in a wok or frying pan, get some ghee upto heat and toss in the aromatics viz green chilli and ginger and fry for a few seconds. Follow this with some sliced onion and fry till they turn translucent. Turn down the flame and add the spice powders viz. pepper, turmeric and cumin. Preferably use coarsely ground pepper as it gives the dish a lovely texture. Turn up the heat and follow with the Okra, the dried-kokum skins and toss them around until the Okra are well coated with the rest of the ingredients.
The Okra (classified as fruit but used as a vegetable) are the green seed pods of the Okra plant and are mucilaginous in nature. The mucilage is a soluble fiber. Hence when cooked or when the okra come in contact with liquid, they secrete a characteristic slime. The secret to preparing crispy tender Okra is to negate the secretion of the slime and its effect on the dish which tends to make the dish mushy. An absolute non-negotiable rule is to wash the okra before cutting them and patting them completely dry before cutting them. Although it may seem insignificant, ensure your hands, the chopping board and the knife are dry when you cut the Okra.
Since we are talking about avoiding or reducing the moisture content to negate the secretion of the slime, do remember that salt releases water from the ingredients in the dish. Hence, add salt at the very end and also it’s a stir fry for a reason! Covered cooking traps moisture in the vessel and this leads to mushy Okra. Hence cooking without the lid on and high heat are essential.
Also, another trick is to soak the okra in a solution of vinegar and water for about an hour to reduce the slime. Well you can do it if you have the time and patience. But getting home after a tiring day at work I doubt anyone will have the patience to do this. This is where the tart component comes to the rescue. Cooking the Okra with an acidic ingredient tends to make the mucilage less viscous. So, you now know that in this Bendan-Miriyapito, the kokum-skins add to the visual appeal of the dish not just by their mere presence and texture but also by making the mucilage less viscous.
Getting back to the recipe, turn down the heat to medium and add the jaggery and gently mix well and cook – of course uncovered, until the jaggery melts and coats the ingredients. The Okra would have by now cooked to the tender stage. Add the salt, stir well and take it off the flame. Done! The Bendan-Miriyapito pairs well with pairs well alongside rice and meat preparations and also pairs well with chapatis. Enjoy!
Bendan- Miriyapito | Peppered Okra Stir-fry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1 pc Green chilli slit
- ½ inch Ginger finely chopped
- 1 pc Onion (medium) sliced
- 1 tsp Pepper powder preferably coarsely ground
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Cumin powder
- 220 gms Okra (Ladies-fingers / Bhindi/ Bendan) (washed, dried, ends removed and cut into 2- inch segments)
- 5 pc Dried Kokum skins see notes
- 20 gms Jaggery powdered
- Salt as acquired
Instructions
- In a wok or frying pan, heat the ghee and toss in the green chilli and ginger and fry for about 30 secs
- Follow this with the onions and fry them till they translucent
- Lower the flame and add the pepper, cumin and turmeric powders and mix well.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high. Add the Okra and the dried Kokum skins and toss them around until they are well coated with the rest of the ingredients and stir fry them
- Turn down the heat to medium. Add jaggery and continue to cook util the jaggery melts and coats the ingredients and the Okra are tender.
- Add the salt and mix well.
- Take it off the flame and serve the Okra with steamed Rice or Chapati
Notes
- Wash the Okra well and pat they completely dry before cutting them
- Ensure your hands, chopping board and knife are dry before cutting the Okra
- Cook the Okra on high heat on open flame
- The kokum skins can be substituted with lime juice or tamarind but it won’t have the same visual excitement and zing that kokum skins provide
- Cook the Okra just until they are tender. Overcooking will turn the Okra mushy
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Delicious
Thank you Leander