Vendaikai Puli Kuzhambhu | Lady’s finger Tamarind Curry

Vendaikai Puli Kuzhambhu – Tender Okra pieces cooked with spices in a tamarind based gravy

Hello, Folks! Winter is here! I have been cooking a lot of soups and curries but then I couldn’t find time to click them. I used to prepare curries in the evening for the next day. By the time I reach home, it is pitch dark and I don’t prefer to click using artificial light. To be honest, I have never tried using artificial lights. Light is magical. We need to understand the light to master. I am still learning and I have a long way to go. I promise I will cook them one more time during the weekend and post for my awesome readers.

As a kid, I loved snow and always dreamt of it. When I saw snow in film songs, I wondered when it would snow in my place – southern state in India.I came across a poster in facebook recently stating that temperature was -3C in Chennai in the 18^th century.  So, winter did come to Chennai. But then, due to our activities, we polluted the air, water, and our land. We have cleared acres of cultivatable lands for the construction of houses. Deforestation lead to global warming and erratic climatic conditions. Though we excel in the latest technology and connect ends of the world with technology, what are we leaving behind for our future generation? A world of polluted air where people pay a huge sum for drinking water.  It’s our responsibility to use natural resources sensibly for our kids – let it start from saving water at our house – switching off the light when not in use; planting a tree in our backyard. These small changes may lead to a big difference. Now, don’t ask me as for how I became socially responsible all of a sudden. I have been hearing stories from my friends back in Chennai about the recent storm Vardha and loss of thousands of trees due to it. It might take years to replant and grow them.

Now to the recipe. As I said, I became a couch potato and enjoy watching my favorite television sitting in my cozy sofa. I am surviving on Vegetable soups and curries which can be stored for a couple of days. At such times, curries prepared with tamarind comes in handy. Ladyfinger in Tamarind gravy is my all time favorite. I used to enjoy it with hot rice whenever mom prepares it. It has been my childhood favorite and growing up doesn’t change that too.

Ingredients:

• 8 – 10 Ladyfinger
• 1 Lemon size Tamarind
• 10 – 15 Shallots
• 1 medium sized Tomato, chopped
• 1 Green Chilli
• ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon Red Chili Powder (adjust according to your spice level)
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• 3 cups Water

For Tempering

• 1 tablespoon Gingely Oil + ½ teaspoon for frying Okra
• ¼ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• ¼ teaspoon Urad Dal
• Handful of curry leaves
• 2 Dried Red Chilies

Method:

• Wash lady’s finger thoroughly with water; Dry them. Once dried, chop them into 1-inch pieces.
• In a small pan, add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped okra pieces and fry them for about 10 minutes.
• In a bowl, add tamarind in hot water and extract tamarind juice. Set aside.
• In a small Kadai, heat oil over medium flame; Once the oil is hot, add the ingredients mentioned under For Tempering.
• Once the mustard seeds splutter, add shallots and cook them until they are transparent.
• Add chili and saute for a minute.
• Add tomato pieces and cook until the tomatoes become mushy.
• Now, add the fried okra pieces, red chilly powder and turmeric powder.
• Cook over medium flame until the okra pieces are half cooked and oil separates from the mixture.
• Now, pour in the extracted tamarind juice to the pan and cook in low flame until okra pieces are cooked completely
• It is advisable to cook the tamarind curry in the low flame so that everything coagulates.
• Adjust the consistency according to your desire.
• Serve with hot rice and fried papads.
• The curry can be stored in the refrigerator for almost a week.

If you try the recipe, do let me know how they tasted in comments. If you like space, do like and follow my profile at here – Facebook, Google

Yours Truly,

Karthi