Crisp Chile-Lime Okra
At Bollywood Theater, in Portland, Oregon, Troy MacLarty fries thin slices of okra to crisp wisps, tosses them in a tangy-spicy salt, and serves them with a refreshing raita (spiced yogurt; recipe follows). You’ll need a food processor with a slicing disk or a handheld slicer, such as a Benriner. It’s also helpful to have a fine-mesh metal skimmer for frying.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Preheat oven to 175° and set baking sheet inside.
Step 2
2
Combine salt, chili, and amchoor in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3
3
To slice okra with a food processor, fit processor with a 4-mm. slicing disk. Working in batches, fill feed tube with okra pods, laying them on their sides and filling the feed tube compactly; slice. Or slice okra lengthwise 1/8 in. thick using a handheld slicer.
Step 4
4
Pour enough vegetable oil into a large pot so it comes 1 1/2 in. up the sides. Heat over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360°.
Step 5
5
Using a slotted spoon or Chinese spider skimmer, lower one-quarter of okra into oil and fry until deep golden, 2 to 3 minutes; it will crisp up as it cools. Transfer to a bowl, season with spiced salt to taste (start with a little), then transfer okra to pan in oven. If you have a fine-mesh skimmer, use it to remove and discard okra seeds from oil. Return oil to 350°, then cook remaining okra the same way.
Step 6
6
Serve okra with raita and lemon wedges.
Step 7
7
*Find ground Indian red chile (also called chili powder, it's a mix of several chile types) and amchoor at Indian markets and khanapakana.com.
Ingredients
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground Indian red chili* or 1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 teaspoon amchoor* (ground dried green mangoes)
1 pound okra (preferably long pods), stem ends trimmed
Vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedges
Directions
Step 1
1
Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Preheat oven to 175° and set baking sheet inside.
Step 2
2
Combine salt, chili, and amchoor in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 3
3
To slice okra with a food processor, fit processor with a 4-mm. slicing disk. Working in batches, fill feed tube with okra pods, laying them on their sides and filling the feed tube compactly; slice. Or slice okra lengthwise 1/8 in. thick using a handheld slicer.
Step 4
4
Pour enough vegetable oil into a large pot so it comes 1 1/2 in. up the sides. Heat over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 360°.
Step 5
5
Using a slotted spoon or Chinese spider skimmer, lower one-quarter of okra into oil and fry until deep golden, 2 to 3 minutes; it will crisp up as it cools. Transfer to a bowl, season with spiced salt to taste (start with a little), then transfer okra to pan in oven. If you have a fine-mesh skimmer, use it to remove and discard okra seeds from oil. Return oil to 350°, then cook remaining okra the same way.
Step 6
6
Serve okra with raita and lemon wedges.
Step 7
7
*Find ground Indian red chile (also called chili powder, it's a mix of several chile types) and amchoor at Indian markets and khanapakana.com.
Search All of Sunset's Recipes
The Latest
These Are the Ingredients You’re Probably Going to Run out of on Thanksgiving—So Stock up Now
