Saturday, February 29, 2020

BENDEKAYI GOJJU

BENDEKAYI GOJJU

Lady's Fingers (as okra is commonly called in India) is a vegetable with many health benefits. In Hindi, lady's fingers are called Bhindi while they are called Bendekayi/Bendekai in Kannada.

 Elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for other dishes using lady's fingers such as:-
Today's recipe is for a side dish popular in my Home State of Karnataka. I have adapted this from the YouTube video on Bendekai Gojju by Brunda Kukke, in which she explains this recipe in Kannada.

In this dish the lady's fingers are initially cooked in the tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves.

We enjoyed this  spicy, tangy and sweet Bendekayi Gojju immensely with steamed rice. It can be served with rotis/ chappatis as well.



Ingredients:-
  • Bendekayi (Okra/Lady's Fingers),  500 gms
  • Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
  • Tamarind,  size of a small lemon
  • Kadale Bele (Channa Dal / Bengal Gram), 1 tbsp
  • Uddina Bele ( Urad Dal/Black Gram0 , 1 tbsp
  • Sesame Seeds, 1 tbsp
  • Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
  • Jaggery, grated, 1 tbsp or to taste 
  • Byadgi Red Chilies, 6-8 
  • Salt, to taste
  • Oil, 1 tsp
For tempering:- 
  • Oil, 2 tbsp
  • Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp 
  • Curry Leaves, a sprig
Method:-

Wash the lady's fingers/okra, and dab them dry on a clean kitchen towel
Snip off the two ends of the okra into 1/4 " roundels. Keep aside

Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract the juice. Keep aside.

In a thick bottomed kadhai, heat 1 tsp of oil and on medium heat add the channa dal and roast it and when it is almost done, add the urad dal and fry till the dals change color
To this add the sesame seeds and mustard seeds and roast for about 30 seconds till they splutter
Remove from the kadhai and keep aside

In the same kadhai, add a little oil and roast the Byadgi Red Chillies till they become crisp. Keep aside.

In a mixer jar grind together the fresh coconut gratings, roasted red chillies along with the mixture of roasted dal, mustard seeds andd sesame seeds to a smooth paste adding the required amount of water . Keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the kadhai and on medium heat add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds
To this add the lady's fingers and sauté for 1 minute
 Add a little salt and mix well
Cover and cook leaving the lid partly open
(Leaving the lid partly open helps some of the steam to escape and this prevents the lady's fingers from becoming slimy/gooey )
Stir from time to time till the lady's fingers get done
Now add the ground paste prepared earlier and mix well
Add water if required to get the medium thick consistency
To this add the tamarind extract, salt to taste ( remember that a little salt has already been added earlier) and bring to a boil
Lastly, add the grated jaggery and allow it to simmer for a few minutes 
Serve Bendekayi Gojju with steamed rice or rotis/ chapatis









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