Crispy Bendakaya Fry | Okra Deep Fry
The Crispy Bendakaya Fry Recipe is an Indian classic. It consists of fried okra, or lady’s fingers, deep-fried until it becomes crunchy, accompanied by garnishes of fried peanuts and garlic cloves. One serves this as a side dish with rice and roti, but it is also great as a snack.
Though there are various other differences, the very fundamentals of making Crispy Bendakaya Fry are the same. The okra is cleaned and sliced into very thin slices. The slices can be fried directly or coated with a batter made out of gram flour, rice flour, turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. It coats the okra and has it deep-fried until it is golden brown, crispy, and delightful to eat.
Here are a few finger-licking recipes:
Cabbage Fry and
How to make crispy bendakaya fry recipe:
1. Heat oil in a kadai, once oil is ready to fry, put thinly sliced okra pieces and deep fry.
2. Sprinkle turmeric powder and ½ tbsp. Salt. Fry they turn crisp, remove from the oil and transfer to another plate.
3. Put peanuts in oil and deep fry till they turn crunchy. Keep aside.
4. Add curry leaves in oil and fry them till they turn dry and crisp, put them over fried peanuts.
5. Put a little more oil and add cumin seeds and crushed garlic cloves. Saute for a second.
6. Add fried okra slices and sprinkle ½ tbsp. Salt, red chili powder and a pinch of turmeric powder.
7. Sprinkle coriander powder, garam masala powder and fried peanuts and curry leaves. Mix all ingredients and serve the crispy Bendakaya Fry recipe once cooled.
Watch crispy bendakaya fry recipe video on YouTube.
Tips to make Crispy Bendakaya Fry | Okra Fry:
Quality Okra
Choose fresh, firm okra pods without blemishes and bruises. Fresh okra is crucial to get the desired crisper texture.
Rinse Thoroughly and Dry Completely:
Rinse the okra well, then pat the okra dry completely while cutting. Any excess water can make the okra slimy; therefore, it has to be moist-free to the touch.
Cut Evenly:
Place them uniformly for it to be evenly cooked. Too thick pieces will not get crispy.
Remove Seeds:
Removing the seeds from the okra can help minimize its sliminess. Slice the okra open and remove the seeds.
Cornflour or Rice Flour:
Dip sliced okra into fine layers of cornflour or rice flour, then fry. This would coat an outer layer over the inner part and thus become crisp on frying.
Preheat Oil:
Heat the oil until the correct temperature. Then, add the okra. The oil should be hot but not smoking. It is a good test to drop a little piece of okra into the oil; it should sizzle right away.
Fry in Batches:
Fry okra in small batches so that each piece has room and cooks evenly. Okra will overcrowd a pan and result in unequal cooking and sogginess.
Stir Gently:
Stir the okra softly with a slotted spoon in such a way that the pieces do not break. Good stirring prevents uneven frying.
Non-Stick Pan:
A non-stick pan prevents the okra from sticking to it and breaking into parts.
Spices at the End:
Add spices like red chili powder, haldi/pasupu, and salt towards the end. Burning of spices would result, and their fragrance would be lost.
Drain Extra Oil:
Place the fried okra on paper towels to let excess oil drain off and stay crispy.
Serve Immediately
Serve Bendakaya Fry immediately after cooking. This ensures maximum crispiness of okra because okra loses its crispiness as it cools.
Crispy Bendakaya Fry Recipe Card
Crispy Bendakaya Fry is a delicious and popular dish from India. It is made with okra (also known as ladies' fingers), which are deep-fried until crispy.
Ingredients
- Bendakaya/ okra – 500 gms.
- Oil – to deep fry
- Turmeric powder – ¼ tbsp.
- Salt – 1 tbsp.
- Peanuts – 1 cup
- Curry leaves – 2-3 tbsp.
- Cumin seeds – ½ tbsp.
- Garlic cloves – 2-3 tbsp. crushed
- Red chili powder – 1 tbsp.
- Coriadner powder – ½ tbsp.
- Garam masala powder – ¼ tbsp.
Instructions
- Heat oil in a kadai; once the oil is hot enough to cook, add thinly sliced okra and deep fry.
- Sprinkle with turmeric powder and 12 teaspoon salt. Fry until crisp, then remove from the oil and place on another platter.
- Deep fried the peanuts in oil until they become crunchy. Set aside.
- Fry the curry leaves in the oil until they are dry and crisp, then sprinkle them over the fried peanuts.
- Add a little more oil, cumin seeds, and garlic cloves, smashed. Cook for another minute.
- Sprinkle 12 tbsp. salt, red chilli powder, and turmeric powder over the fried okra segments.
- Garnish with coriander, garam masala powder, fried peanuts, and curry leaves. After the crispy Bendakaya Fry recipe has cooled, combine all of the ingredients and serve.
Recipe Video
FAQ:
Q: What are the key ingredients for Bendakaya Fry to be crispy?
A: The main ingredients include Bendakaya, senaga pindi (gram flour), biyyam pindi (rice flour), spices like red chilli powder, pasupu, coriander powder, salt, and oil for frying.
Q: How do you prepare the ladyfinger before frying?
A: You wash and dry the ladyfinger real good. Then chop off both ends and chop them up into tiny pieces.
Q: What is the batter?
This will include besan or senagapindi, rice flour, Karam (red chilli powder), Pasupu (turmeric powder), coriander powder, salt, and water. The mix recipe gives a thick batter that is heavy and smooth.
Q: How to coat the ladyfinger in the batter?
A: Take each and every piece of lady fingers one by one and dip in the batter. Use your hands or spoon for a proper coat.
Q: Anything else I could add so that it will be a bit flavorful?
A: Of course! You can add dhania powder, garam masala, or chaat masala over bendakaya fry.
Q: How do I make it crispy?
A: Fry till golden brown and crispy. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Make sure your oil’s hot. Fry breaded ladyfingers in small batches.
Q: Do I have to fry in a specific oil?
A: In Andhra, people select palli (groundnut oil) but anything which has high smoke level can be used.
Q: Can’t I just bake the ladyfinger instead of frying it?
A: If you still want it crispy, then fry it would be best; but you could bake the coated ladyfinger pieces in a preheated oven till golden brown.
Q: What to have it with this Crispy Bendakaya Fry?
A: It is a fantastic side dish, to go over the rice or roti or simply as a snack when served with some dipping sauce or chutney.
Q: What are your leftover instructions?
Q: Let all leftovers cool before refrigerating in an air-tight container. Leftovers should be warmed up by oven or air fryer to get crispy.
