This is from Julie Sahni's _Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking_:

Beware of this delicacy, for it can be shockingly hot to the unprepared
palate.

You can substitute green beans, yellow wax beans, lima beans, fresh
black-eyed peas, sweet green peas, asparagus, carrots, or shallots of equal
quantity for the okra.

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
4 dry red chile pods
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow split peas
1 tablespoon split white gram beans ("urad dal")
3 cups water
2 teaspoons tamarind paste
1/3 teaspoon ground asafetida ("hing")
3 tablespoons light vegetable oil or light sesame oil
1 pound okra, tops trimmed and left whole or cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste

1. Put the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, chile pods,
yellow split peas, and split white gram beans into a lightly-greased skillet
over medium-high heat. Roast the spices, shaking and tossing, until they
turn several shades darker, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a small plate,
cool completely, and grind to a fine powder using a spice grinder.

2. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the tamarind paste,
ground asafetida, and the ground spice powder, and mix well. Lower the heat
and cook the sauce at a simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

3. While the sauce is cooking, heat the oil in a large frying pan. When the
oil is hot, add the okra. Fry the okra, turning and tossing, until covered
with several brown streaks, regulating the heat between medium and high,
about 9-10 minutes. Turn off heat.

4. Add the fried okra to the sauce and continue cooking for another 4
minutes. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens. Turn
off heat and add salt to taste.

Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature. Keeps well covered in the
refrigerator for 2 days.

BOB'S NOTES:

1. I substituted carrots for the okra.
2. I puréed the sauce before adding the cornstarch. After all, I was using
it as a dipping sauce for samosas, and a chunky sauce just wouldn't work as
well.
3. If you have trouble finding asafetida, you can substitute 2 cloves of
garlic paste (either pressed, pounded in a mortar, or scraped on a board),
though the substitution is NOT authentic (for religious/superstitious
reasons).
4. I don't have a 1/3 teaspoon measure, so I used a scant half-teaspoon of
asafetida.


Bob