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Bendekai Gojju - Okra curry

Bendekai Gojju

Recipe for Bendekai Gojju, a South Indian style Okra Curry made using seasonal fresh okra, in a tamarind base
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine south indian
Servings 3 people

Ingredients
  

For Rasam Powder:

  • 1 tsp Fortune VIVO Diabetes-Care Oil
  • 3 tbsp tur dal / split yellow lentils
  • 4-5 dried red chillies
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper corns
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Other ingredients

  • 3 tbsp Fortune VIVO Diabetes-Care Oil
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • pinch of asafoetida
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 cups sliced tender okra
  • 1-2 tbsp packed tamarind
  • 1/2 - 1 tbsp jaggery
  • 1 tbsp fresh coconut
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions
 

  • To prepare the Karnataka style rasam powder, heat the oil in a kadai / wok.
  • Add all the ingredients for the powder and saute on a medium flame until spices are aromatic, dal is golden brown and chillies have turned crisp and deep red. Once cooled, grind to a fine powder and keep aside.
  • Meanwhile, to prepare the fresh tamarind extract, cover the tamarind with 1 cup of boiling hot water. We will get back to this later, when the water is cooler and easier to handle.
  • In the same kadai, heat 3 tbsp of Fortune VIVO Diabetes-Care Oil. Drop in the mustard seeds, which will immediately go into a spluttering frenzy. Lower the flame and stir in the asafoetida and turmeric.
  • Slide the sliced okra into the oil in the pan. Stir on high flame for 1 minute or so. Reduce flame to lowest setting and allow the okra to cook and brown for at least 10-12 minutes.
  • Squeeze out all the pulp from the soaking tamarind to get around 1 cup of extract.
  • Add this extract to the cooked okra in the pan. Stir in 2-3 tsp of the prepared rasam powder. Add coconut, salt and jaggery and allow this to come to a simmer on a high flame. Lower the flame and continue to simmer until the curry base is thick.  Remove into a bowl and serve hot with steamed rice and ghee.
  • To make this recipe more diabetic friendly, have it with cooked millets and roasted papad for a hearty meal.

Notes

Best served with steamed rice, akki rotti (rice flour flat bread) or ragi mudde (finger millet dumplings)