Vendakka puli/Okra in tamarind pulp

Learnt to make Vendakka puli from my mummy. This is sort of sweet, tangy and hot thick consistency curry. Supposedly I've covered most flavours :) Yes, it is indeed a wonderful combination.

I get this feeling whenever I taste it; at first a sudden hit of the sweetness from jaggery, then the tangy taste of tamarind and the hotness from the chillies. Oh la la !!!

We mostly have Kerala recipes at home; rice, curry, upperi etc. But haven't posted much veggie recipes on my blog. That's mainly because veggie recipes doesn't appeal much to my husband and I don't try new veggie invention. He's a non-veg crazy chap. If it's only veg items served, then the food intake would be much less. So I prefer making non-veg for my family. Not to mention my little one, Dyuti's got strange preferences. Whatever be the dish, she sniffs it at first. Only once it passes the sniff test, she does allow to try it out. Well, Dyuti is not that into meat like her dad; still a bit fussy. Here goes the recipe.

Recipe Source: Mummy

Ingredients:

Okra/Ladies finger - 6-7, cut in rounds medium thick
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Onions - 1, chopped (Best to use eshallots or kunjulli)
Green chilli - 1, chopped
Ginger - 1 inch piece, finely chopped
Fenugreek seeds - ¼ tsp
Tamarind - a disc shaped
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Red hot chilli powder - ½ tbsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp, for the colour
Jaggery - a small piece
Asafoetida - a pinch
Water - 1 cup
Salt
Oil - I used a comb of olive oil and a dash of gingelly oil

Instructions:

• Soak tamarind in hot water.
• Pour oil on a hot pan.
• Add mustard seeds when oil is hot and let it splutter. Then add fenugreek seeds and fry for few seconds.
• Add chopped onion, green chilly, ginger and curry leaves. Fry till onion turns translucent.
• Now add the cut okra's and fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Add turmeric, red chilli and kashmiri chilli powder and let the spices turn fragrant.
• Crush the tamarind that is immersed in hot water using your fingers and strain the tamarind pulp.
• Pour tamarind pulp to the fried okra's. Add the jaggery, salt and allow to cook.
• Allow the gravy to thicken. Check for the salt and the hotness of chillies. Add chilli powder if required.
• Add asafoetida when the gravy has thickened and switch off the flame.