Name: Crispy salt ‘n’ pepper okra
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 500g okra; vegetable oil for frying; 60g cornflour; 1 tsp ground white pepper; ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt or sea salt flakes; 2 red chillies deseeded and thinly sliced; 2 spring onions thinly sliced; sweet chilli sauce or mango chutney to serve

500g okra
vegetable oil
for frying
60g cornflour
1 tsp ground white pepper
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt or sea salt flakes
2 red chillies
deseeded and thinly sliced
2 spring onions
thinly sliced
sweet chilli sauce or mango chutney
to serve

Method

step 1
Wash the okra, pat dry and then slice diagonally into 3cm pieces. Heat the oil to a depth of 3cm in a deep frying pan over a medium heat.
step 2
In a bowl, combine the cornflour, white pepper and salt. Add the okra pieces and roll them in the mixture, then add a few drizzles of water to form a batter-like paste, and evenly coat the okra.
step 3
When the oil is hot, fry a few pieces of okra until crisp and a pale yellow-gold colour, before removing onto a kitchen-paper-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining okra in batches until all the pieces are fried.
step 4
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok until it begins to smoke, then add the chillies and spring onions with some freshly ground black pepper, then quickly add in the okra, tossing well to mix. Serve hot in a bowl lined with baking paper, with sweet chilli sauce or mango chutney to serve.