BHENDA PUDDI SAGLE

BHENDA PUDDI SAGLE

Lady's Fingers, known as Okra in the United States, is a very popular vegetable in India. In Hindi, it is called Bhindi while we call it Bhenda in my mother tongue, Konkani. This is called Bendekayi in Kannada and Vendakkai in Tamil.

Dieticians and nutritionists, like in this article in Healthline, speak of the many reasons why okra/ lady's fingers are good for our health.

Lady's fingers are commonly used all over India so elsewhere in this blog you will find recipes for Vendakkai Puli Kuzhambu  from Tamilnadu; Masaledar Bhindi from North India and Bhindi Sambhariya from Gujarat.

Today's recipe is from our own GSB Konkani cuisine and is called Bhenda Puddi Sagle. It is a side dish which is generally served with our traditional meal of rice and dal. It also goes well with rotis.

In making this dish, for best results, please make sure the lady's fingers are tender.

Ingredients:-

• Bhenda ( Lady's Fingers/Okra ), 250 grams
• Large-sized Onions, 2
• Fresh Coconut Gratings, 1 cup
• Byadgi Red Chillies, 5
• Tamarind, size of a small marble
• Coriander Seeds, 1 tsp, 
• Fenugreek (Methi) Seeds, 1/4 tsp 
• Mustard Seeds, 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves, a sprig
• Oil, 1 and 1/2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

Method:-

Wash the lady's fingers and pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel
Snip off the two ends and cut the lady's fingers into 1" pieces
Peel and chop the onions
Add a little oil in a kadhai and roast the Byadgi Red Chillies till they become crisp and keep aside
Next roast the coriander seeds and the fenugreek seeds till they turn golden. Keep aside.
In a mixer, grind together the fresh coconut gratings and the tamarind along with the roasted ingredients:  red chillies, coriander seeds, and fenugreek seeds, to form a coarse paste adding just the required amount of water.  Keep aside

Heat oil in the kadhai and on medium heat add the mustard seeds
When they splutter add the curry leaves and sauté for a few seconds

To this, add the chopped onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes till they become translucent

Now add the lady's fingers, and salt, mix well and sauté for 1 minute
Partially cover and cook the lady's fingers on medium heat stirring from time to time till they are almost cooked yet remain firm. (They should not get soggy or overcooked)
Add the ground paste prepared earlier and mix well
Cook on medium/low flame till the excess water evaporates and the masala gets well blended with the lady's fingers
Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot as a side dish