Tag Archives: Ladies Fingers

Recipes: Vendakai Pachadi

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Okra, also known as ladies finger, is a nutrient-dense vegetable that offers numerous health benefits. It is rich in vitamins A and C, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, making it an excellent choice for promoting overall health. The antioxidants found in okra help combat oxidative stress and may reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Additionally, okra is known for its potential to regulate blood sugar levels, making it beneficial for those managing diabetes. Its high fiber content supports digestive health and may aid in cholesterol management by binding to cholesterol during digestion.

Okra, Bhindi, or Ladies Finger Raita or Vendakkai Pachadi combines the health benefits of bhindi with yoghurt and coconut, creating a refreshing dish that supports gut health due to the probiotics in yoghurt. Adding coconut adds healthy fats and enhances the dish’s flavour profile. This pachadi serves as a delicious side dish and contributes to a balanced diet by incorporating essential nutrients from its ingredients, including calcium, magnesium, and vitamins that promote heart and bone health.

Vendakkai Pachadi 

Vendakkai Pachadi, or Okra/Bhindi/Ladies Finger Raita, is a traditional South Indian dish made with sautéed bhindi, yoghurt, and coconut. It’s a refreshing side dish that pairs well with rice and curries. 

Ingredients:

For the Pachadi:

  • 2 cups of ladies finger, chopped into thin rounds
  • 2 cups fresh thick yoghurt or curd
  • ½ cup fresh or frozen grated coconut
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2-3 green chillies
  • Salt, to taste
  • 4-5 tbsp oil for sautéing

For the tempering:

  • 1 tsp oil
  •  ½ tsp mustard seeds
  •  ½ tsp urad dal 
  • 1-2 dry red chillies, broken into pieces
  •  A sprig of curry leaves

Method:

  • Wash the vendakkai thoroughly and pat dry to remove moisture, which helps avoid sliminess.
  • Cut them into thin rounds and keep them aside.
  • Heat 4-5 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat.
  • Once the oil is hot, add the chopped bhindi and sauté in batches until they are crispy and golden brown. Each batch should take between 5-8 minutes. Once done, remove it from the heat and let it cool.
  • In a blender, combine the grated coconut, green chillies, cumin seeds and a pinch of salt. Blend until it becomes a smooth paste. If you need extra moisture while blending, add some of the yoghurt. 
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk the yoghurt until smooth. Add the coconut mixture to the yoghurt and mix well. Adjust salt to taste.
  • Once the sautéed okra has cooled down and you are ready to serve the dish, gently fold the crisp bhindi into the yoghurt-coconut mixture.
  • In a small pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and let it become warm. Add in the mustard seeds and urad dal; let them crackle.
  • Once they start to splutter, add the broken dry red chillies and curry leaves. Sauté for a few seconds until fragrant.
  • Pour the tempering over the prepared pachadi mixture and mix gently.
  • Serve chilled or at room temperature with steamed rice or as part of a larger meal.

Tips

  • Ensure that the vendakkai is well-dried before cutting to minimise sliminess during cooking.
  • Adjust the number of green chillies based on spice preferences.
  • This dish can be refrigerated for a couple of hours before serving for enhanced flavours. Just remember to add the crisp ladies fingers just before serving to ensure that the dish’s crispiness is kept.

Recipes: Bhindi Do Pyaza/Bhindi Masala

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I have been sitting on this recipe since December of last year for no reason. GG, BB and I made this recipe for S’ birthday last year.

Bhindi, Ladies’ Finger or Okra, is a tricky vegetable to make and like. Most people don’t like it because of the sliminess of its seeds that ooze out while cooking. Also known as ladies finger in some countries (including India), Okra is a flowering plant in the mallow family with edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with theories of its origin spread across West Africa, South and Southeast Asia. It is cultivated in tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions around the world and is used in many cuisines.

This recipe is a blend of Bhindi Masala, and Bhindi Do Pyaza. The recipe is richer than the usual recipes I cook and takes longer to make. But it is super delicious and will be a hit at any gathering if you are making it for family and friends. So on to the recipe…

Bhindi Masala/Bhindi Do Pyaza

Ingredients:

  • 500 gms bhindi or okra, washed and dried
  • 2 medium-sized onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium-sized onions, roughly chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 7-8 garlic cloves, peeled
  • inch piece of ginger, peeled
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1-2 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp dry mango powder or amchur powder
  • 1 tbsp kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup beaten yoghurt
  • 3 tbsp oil + oil to fry the okra
  • Finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Trim the ends of the okra and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Keep aside.
  • In a pan or kadhai, heat 2 tbsp oil and let the oil warm up.
  • Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
  • Add the ginger and garlic and saute for a few seconds. Then add the chopped onions and let the onions become translucent and a nice golden brown.
  • Now add the chopped tomatoes and a pinch of salt and let the tomatoes cook well and become mushy.
  • Remove from the pan and let it cool. Once cool, blend it to a smooth paste.
  • While waiting for the onion-tomato mixture to cool down, heat oil in another pan or kadai over medium heat. Add in the cut okra and deep or shallow fry until the okra is cooked and crisp. Keep aside.
  • Heat the balance of 1 tbsp oil, and when it warms up, add in the sliced onions and sauté until they turn golden brown and caramelised.
  • Now add in the blended paste and cook. Add in the dry spices at this point, adding in the turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder, plus some salt. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes until the spices are well combined.
  • Add the fried bhindi and mix gently, ensuring that the spices coat the okra evenly. Cook uncovered for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Reduce the heat to low, add some water to bring it to the consistency you want, cover the pan, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add in the beaten yoghurt and stir continuously so the yoghurt does not separate.
  • Sprinkle garam masala and dry mango powder and crush the kasuri methi in the palms of your hands and sprinkle in the gravy. Mix well to combine all the flavours.
  • Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with roti, naan or rice. I served this with jeera rice.

You could also add cooking cream instead of beaten yoghurt to make the dish even richer and add more flavour to it.

Recipes: Bhindi Masala or Okra (Ladies Finger) in a Tomato Gravy

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Bhindi or Ladies Finger is one of my favourite vegetables. When fried right, it is crisp and super yummy. I remember my grandmother’s telling us to eat this vegetable when we were young saying that eating this vegetable will improve your brain. Though I have no idea if this is true or just an old wives tale, it did ensure that this became one of my favourite vegetables ever.

Okra is scientifically known as Abelmoschus esculentus, and it might have originated in parts of Western Africa and Asia. It has been cultivated since the 12th century BC. While researching on the benefits of Ladies Finger for this post, I realised that this unassuming vegetable actually has many benefits. Bhindi has one of the richest sources of potassium, folic acid, vitamins B and C, calcium, and fibre. Okra alleviates asthma, lowers cholesterol, protects the heart, manages diabetes, boosts your immune system, improves vision, prevents kidney diseases and is a very good addition for pregnant women to eat.

A note of warning though, this recipe does use more oil than usual, so keep that in mind while making it. If you are on a diet, this recipe is probably not for you. This version of bhindi masala is made using a modified basic Punjabi gravy.

Bhindi Masala

Ingredients:

  • 20-25 ladies fingers, washed and completely dried
  • 1 large and 1 medium sized onion
  • 3 medium sized tomatoes
  • 8-10 garlic pods
  • 1 inch piece of ginger
  • 6-8 pieces of cashewnuts
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1-2 tsp red chilli powder
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp dry mango powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder
  • 3-4 tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Make sure the ladies fingers are completely dry. Then top and tail them and cut them into one inch pieces. Keep wiping your knife with a kitchen towel to remove all the slime from the seeds of the okra. Keep aside.
  • Chop the large onion vertically into long thin slices and keep aside.
  • In a blender, blend the ginger, garlic, the medium sized onion, tomatoes and cashewnuts into a fio a fine paste. Keep aside.
  • Heat the oil in a pan and when it is hot, add the okra in batches along with a pinch of salt and let it cook. The okra should turn dark green and crisp. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
  • In the same pan, with the balance oil, add the cumin seeds and when the seeds pop, add the sliced onions. Stir and let the onions become translucent.
  • When the onions become translucent, add in the blended gravy and let it come to a rolling boil. Add in the spices – salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and raw mango powder and let it simmer for around 5-10 minutes.
  • Add water to thin the gravy to the consistency you want. Add in the garam masala powder and check for seasoning and add what seems to be missing.
  • Add in the fried ladies finger and give it a simmer and switch off the flame after garnishing with the finely chopped coriander leaves.
  • If you don’t have access to dry mango powder, you can substitute it with 1 tsp lemon juice. Add the lemon juice at the very end, just after you switch off the flame.

This goes very well with both Indian flatbreads and even rice.

Recipe: Tamatar Dahi wale Bhindi or Okra in a Tomato Yoghurt Sauce

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I had some Ladies Fingers or Okra going bad and so wanted to make something with them. I wanted to make a gravy dish, but was bored of making a tomato gravy, so tried something different this time. The dish was super yummy and is a definite keeper for sure! I made this for lunch with Sweet Corn and Peas Pulao yesterday.

The recipe is slightly labour intensive, but very tasty and will be a keeper in your repertoire. It also uses more oil than I am wholly comfortable with, but is still ok as an occasional treat.

Tamatar Dahi wale Bhindi or Okra in a Tomato Yoghurt Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 kg ladies fingers or okra
  • 1 pod garlic
  • 1.5 inch piece of ginger
  • 4 medium sized onions
  • 4 medium sized tomatoes
  • 1 cup plain yoghurt
  • 4-5 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp ghee
  • 10 pieces of cashew nuts
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1-2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tbsp kasuri methi
  • Salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

  • Wash and dry the ladies fingers throughly. Top and tail them and cut into 1-1.5 inch pieces. Keep aside.
  • Peel the garlic, peel and chop the ginger, slice the onions and tomatoes separately and keep everything aside.
  • Heat about 2 tsp of oil and when the oil heats up, put in the garlic and ginger in it and let it stir for a few minutes.
  • Then add the cashew nuts and stir for a couple of minutes.
  • When the cashews start to brown add in the sliced onions and sauté till it starts to brown. Then add the tomatoes plus about a teaspoon of salt and cook till the tomatoes are cooked, soft and mushy.
  • Let it cool completely and then blend into a smooth paste, using as much water as needed.
  • In the same pan, heat around 2-3 tbsp of oil and in batches cook the chopped okra. Sprinkle a pinch of salt each time. The okra should be shiny and dark green with a slight crispy taste to it. Remove the okra and keep aside.
  • In the same pan, heat the balance oil and fry the cumin and fennel seeds. When they pop, add the blended paste and cook it till the water evaporates.
  • In the meantime, beat the yoghurt well and when the paste becomes thick and oil starts to float in the edges, pour this yoghurt over the paste and stir well.
  • Now add the fried okra and stir well. Add water if needed to thin the gravy out.
  • Add in the spices now – red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder along with garam masala. You should also check salt and seasoning at this point and add if anything seems less.
  • Let it boil on a low to medium flame till it comes to a rolling boil. Crush the kasuri methi in your palms and sprinkle it over the gravy. Let it cook for around five minutes and then switch off the gas.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or an Indian flatbread.

Note: If you make this in advance and are heating it up before serving, you may notice that the gravy has thickened because of the cashew nuts. In that case, thin it with some thinned yoghurt or milk.