Pan-fried okra evokes memories of summers past

It is peak summer in Northeast Georgia. I haven't been making it to the Farmers' Market regularly this year, but have enjoyed some classic summer produce here and there. For one, we make watermelon juice almost daily, and serve it to ourselves in freezer-chilled glasses- a real treat. Last week, I bought a box of fresh figs- I'm the only one in the family who enjoys them. 

I came upon some beautifully fresh okra last week and bought it immediately. There was no question about what I would make with it- aji-style tal-lele bhendi- pan-fried okra in the style of my maternal grandmother. I've posted this recipe in my first few months of blogging, over 19 years ago! Here's a quick review of the recipe as I make it now- no quantities, as I just eyeball it.

• Wash a bunch of fresh okra, and dry it thoroughly (do not skip this step). 
• Chop the okra quite finely- I'll lop off the top and tail, make 2-3 cuts lengthwise and then chop crosswise. Place the chopped okra in a large bowl.
• To the chopped okra, add
• Besan (chickpea flour)
• Rice flour
• Salt
• Turmeric
• Red chili powder
• Cumin-coriander powder
• Toss the contents of the bowl well to dredge the okra in the flours and seasoning. 
• Add 1-2 tsp. oil and a tablespoon or two of water and toss again. This gets all the coating to stick on.
• Meanwhile, heat 1-2 tsp. oil in a pan. Tip the contents into the pan once hot.
• Pan-fry the okra, stirring occasionally on medium heat until the okra is cooked through and browned and crispy in places. Serve immediately.

Last week, I served this okra with a "rasam khichdi" that I made in a few minutes in the instant pot. What's rasam khichdi, you ask? Not anything authentic, I assure you. A made-up recipe designed to simultaneously annoy people from a few different states, ha ha, but a tasty and quick meal. 

My aji used to serve this okra (which she fried in a lot more oil than I currently do) with a very simple varan-bhat, steamed white rice with mashed cooked toor dal, cooked simply with salt and curry leaves. A wedge of lemon and a drizzle of ghee completed this ultimate comfort food.

I remember eating this meal off steel thalis while seated on the living room floor of aji's fourth-floor walk-up flat in South Bombay. It would be school summer break- the month of May- and four granddaughters would be visiting Bombay aji as she was referred to to distinguish her from our other grandmother. We spent the sweltering morning puttering around lazily, then lunched on meals like this while sitting cross-legged on the cool tiles of the living room floor, strategically arranged under the ceiling fan. 

Promptly at 1 PM, the local cable guy would put a movie on for all his customers. It was the ideal way to kill time during the heat of day, watching a movie in a darkened living room while practically napping. We would wait with bated breath to see what movie would be played each day. (Much of the delicious anticipation of TV is gone in these days of streaming services.) Mr. India, the 1987 movie, was my personal favorite and one that I will happily rewatch anytime even now. 

Then, in the evening, we would grab a collection of buckets and shovels and walk two blocks to Chowpatty beach for a few hours of happy sandcastle construction. On the way home, there would be an occasional stop at the kulfi place, or to peruse used books that a vendor spread out under the footbridge. Then, washing off the sand and changing into night-dresses, and dinner, again with some TV show for company. Finally, we would unroll folding mattresses onto the living room floor and sleep all in a row. Good times. 

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Salads of different types have been on the menu this past week. My kids love pasta- I cook a box/bag of pasta practically twice a week and save it in a container in the fridge to use in different ways. I made a batch of pasta salad, which holds well in the fridge for school/work lunches and quick meals. It is very flexible and can accommodate many bits and bobs from the fridge and pantry. I made it simply by tossing together--

• Cooked pasta (tricolor farfalle this time)
• Marinated artichokes
• Fresh tomato, chopped
• Bell peppers, chopped
• Chopped fresh mozzarella
• Pesto 
• Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• Drizzle of olive oil if needed
• Sprinkle of parmesan, optional

The pic below shows the pasta salad served on a bed of arugula, and topped with toaster-oven-baked quorn nuggets.

A friend is downsizing, and let me look through a pile of treasures that she is letting go. I acquired these fun baking tools-

• Adding to my collection of cookie cutters- these are some seasonal ones like pumpkin and apple shapes
• A cake layer cutter- wow, excited to use this- maybe a birthday cake for my daughter next month
• An 8 inch tube pan- I'm thinking... a pound cake
• A 12 inch tart pan with a removable bottom- I'm thinking... a savory tomato tart

I told her I'll use each one soon and bring her a share of the baked goods! 

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Media round-up of the week:

• I finally watched Oppenheimer (2023) on Prime, over a year after it came out. It was long (watched it over 2-3 days as is my wont) but I enjoyed it, and learned a lot about the politics and the personal dynamics of the time. I've read books on the subject but this was a different perspective
• I had a chance to go to part of a local film festival- a segment on narrative shorts on the theme of "Women in Film"- it was cool to get my culture in, and I enjoyed some of the film shorts
• A podcast episode that I found interesting and terrifying in equal measure- Radiolab: Dinopocalypse- a story of what likely happened the day the dinosaurs died
• The internet has reading content in the weirdest places- I enjoyed a few posts from the "Best of Craigslist"- missed connection, mean cat, splitting a Costco pie, new holiday proposed, this heartbreaker.

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A friend invited me to her lake house for a girls' night. I drove 75 minutes north and had a wonderful time splashing in the lake for hours, listening to a flash thunderstorm on the porch under a metal roof, reading on this deck at sunrise...it was a short 18 hour trip in total but a lovely change of scene.