Okra Recipe with Cumin, Asafoetida and Green Chilies (No Water)

Okra is one of the fastest vegetables you can make for dinner, and this recipe takes 15 to 20 minutes on low heat with no water at all. 

My mom had brought some okra from the market that Saturday. There were other vegetables too, but I picked okra because I knew it would be ready fast. 

And one thing that makes this recipe work is squeezing lemon when we add okra to the pot. 

It handles the sliminess before it sets. Besides this, I used cumin, asafoetida, one onion, green chilies, oil, salt, etc.

Ingredients

• 1 kilo okra, cut into small rounds (around 1cm each)
• 100g oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 pinches asafoetida
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin
• 15 green chilies, chopped into small rounds
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 lemon

Dry the Okra First, Then Cut It and Get Everything on a Plate

First of all, wash the okra and pat it completely dry before cutting, so if there’s any moisture on the surface when it hits the hot oil, the sliminess will start immediately, and it’s harder to control from that point.

Cut off the tops and tails and slice each piece into roughly 1cm rounds, and then set it aside in a bowl with the lemon next to it.

While you’re at it, get everything else ready on a plate: the sliced onion, chopped green chilies, cumin, asafoetida, and the salt. 

You’ll need thin onion slices (not chunked), so it can soften quickly in the oil.

Heat the Oil, Add the Cumin, Then Drop the Asafoetida In

Heat 100g of oil in a wide pot on medium flame. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them crackle for a few seconds, then add the asafoetida right after. 

The asafoetida only needs two or three seconds in the hot oil. 

So don’t wait after adding it because if it sits too long, it turns bitter.

Also, 100g of oil for one kilo of okra is the right amount. 

Okra soaks up oil as it cooks, and too little means the pieces at the bottom will catch on the pot. Plus, enough oil is what lets you cook everything properly on low heat without the dish burning at the base.

Fry the Onion Until It Colors, Then Add the Green Chilies

Add the sliced onion to the oil and stir it around. Keep the flame at medium and let it cook until it softens and gets some color at the edges. 

Once it’s there, add the chopped green chilies and stir everything together for about a minute. 

And that’s because onions take more time; if you put them in together, the chilies will overcook while you’re still waiting for the onions.

Add the Okra, Squeeze the Lemon In Right Away, Then Put the Lid On

Add all the okra to the pot, stir it through the onion and chili mixture, and squeeze the lemon over it immediately. 

Besides this, add the salt, stir everything once, drop the flame to low, and put the lid on. 

I check and stir every 5 minutes to make sure nothing is catching at the bottom, and put the lid on between checks.

The okra cooks in its own steam and the oil, so you’ll have to look for pieces that are soft through the middle, darker green than when they went in, and with no slimy texture. 

So if there’s still some stickiness at the 20-minute mark, leave the lid off and give it another 3 to 4 minutes on low, and that’s it your quick okra recipe will be ready.

Why I Add the Lemon When the Okra Goes In

I didn’t squeeze the lemon because I wanted its taste. I added it because okra releases slime when you keep it on heat. There’s acid in the lemon that breaks down this slime. And if I don’t do this, or you don’t do this, you’ll get sliminess in your recipe, and you can’t fix it later.

Apart from that, I didn’t use water because when water and okra slime come together, they make a really bad recipe. I’ve tried eating that kind of recipe, but it’s not that good.

But I made it this way, I’ll try making it in a gravy-style sometime, so that will be a different recipe.

So, the biggest reason for adding lemon, a simple lemon, was that I didn’t want the slime, and even if there is a little bit of flavor from the lemon, it will be so subtle that I probably won’t even notice it.

Why You Should Be Careful About Water

Okra already contains a good amount of moisture, which helps it cook, because if you ever remove the lid and check while the okra is cooking, you’ll see steam coming out, and that steam comes from the okra itself.

So there’s no real need to add water separately, especially if you’re making the same recipe that I’m sharing. 

And if you add even a little water, you’ll notice two things. First, the okra will become soft very quickly and turn mushy, with quite a lot of sliminess. 

Apart from that, you’ll also see a lot of stickiness at the bottom, which feels quite weird, personally; that’s how I feel about it.

So the best liquid to use in this is oil.

You can also see this ridge gourd no-water recipe; it’s different, but it’s also cooked without extra water.

What I Do with the Leftover Okra the Next Morning

I made more okra than needed at dinner time because we were going to eat it with roti, but I wanted to save a little so that I could have it the next morning. 

So the next morning, I reheated the okra in a pan, and I still didn’t use any water, as I would with some other recipes. And then I had it with parathas, using it as a filling.

Check spicy eggplant mash; it’s another vegetable dish that behaves the same way.

Things You Can Change Without Losing the Dish

Because I like spicy food, I used around fifteen chilies for one kilo of okra. But if you don’t like chilies, you can add eight to ten chilies. 

And apart from that, if you’re adding fifteen chilies, remove the seeds from them because most of the heat is in the seeds, which gives us that spiciness.

You can also chop one small tomato, fry it, and soften it, and then add it to the okra.

This tomato will give a little sourness to your recipe, and you should only do this, like add the tomato, when you’re not using lemon, because it will add a little flavor that will help with the sliminess of the okra.

If you want to serve with rice instead of flatbread, try it with yellow rice with potato.

Mistake You May Make While Cooking This Okra

Do not add water because there’s already enough moisture in okra that we need to cook it. 

So, low heat with the lid on means the okra has enough moisture in it to keep going without burning. 

If it is catching at the bottom, you should lower the flame.

Secondly, you have to add lemon the moment you add the okra into the pot.

Also, cutting the pieces too thick slows the cooking down: pieces closer to 2cm need 25 to 30 minutes on low heat, and that’s more time for things to go wrong. 

Keep them at 1cm and the 15 to 20 minute timing holds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen okra instead of fresh?

Yes, you can absolutely use frozen okra to make this recipe, but if you use it while it’s still cold, the sliminess will cook in, and it won’t be removed quickly. And if you add lemon to it, it won’t really help at that point.

So, if you’re using frozen okra, you should first bring it to room temperature. 

For this, you can put it in water for a while before cutting it, and then remove all the water properly with a cotton cloth. After that, you can make the recipe.

My okra still came out slimy even with the lemon?

If your okra is still slimy, even after adding lemon and everything, there are a few possible reasons.

First, you added lemon, but not at the right time; you were a little late in adding it. 

Or maybe you added water, or you kept the flame on your gas stove too high. 

These are the reasons why okra releases slime quickly.

So cook it on low heat, squeeze the lemon at the right time, and keep stirring it from time to time.

How small should I cut the okra pieces?

In my opinion, around 1 cm is the right size for the okra for this recipe because that’s the size I’ve always used. Although I’ve kept different sizes for different recipes, if I’m talking about this recipe, one centimeter is enough.

If you keep the pieces bigger, like two centimeters, then you’ll have to cook them for around eight to ten minutes longer, during which you’ll also have to keep stirring them.

And if you cut the pieces too small, like less than one centimeter, then it will become a little weird. 

I’ve never tried cutting them that small; I usually keep them around 1 cm, and that’s what I recommend.

Can I skip the asafoetida?

I used Asafoetida in this okra recipe because it gives a savory depth. But it’s up to you whether you want to use it or not. It adds quite a subtle flavor, but it does add something. If you pay attention, you might notice it; otherwise, you probably won’t.

Many people also use Asafoetida as a substitute for garlic and onion.