Vendaikkai (Lady’s finger / Okra / Bhindi) is one of my favorite vegetables. I use it frequently in my cooking. My kids love any dish prepared with vendaikkai. Vendaikkai puli kuzhambu is an all time favorite curry at home. I personally relish this dish with rava upma. My mother makes the best vendaikkai kuzhambu. She taught me this recipe when I was a beginner to cooking. She reserves some kuzhambu from the previous day and for breakfast I like to eat vendaikkai kuzhambu with rava upma.

Puli kuzhambu is very common at my mom’s place and my mother-in-law’s place. They make puli kuzhambu with country vegetables like, brinjal, lady’s finger, drumsticks and karunai kizhangu. Homemade kuzhambu milagai podi (Homemade curry powder) and tamarind extract are the main elements of this dish as it elevates the flavor. All of us at home love this kuzhambu and its simple to make, tastes tangy and delicious. We sometimes even have puli kuzhambu with idli and dosai. We can have this kuzhambu along with some steamed rice, keerai poriyal, omelette or just appalam / papad.

Lets get cooking this yummy kuzhambu!

Ingredients

• Vendaikkai / Lady’s finger – 250 gms
• Small onion – 12 or Big onion (Chopped) – 1/2 cup
• Tomato – 1 (Medium sized)
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig
• Kuzhambu milagai podi – 1 tbsp (or) Combine Chilli powder – 1 tsp, Coriander powder – 1.5 tsp, Jeera powder – 3/4 tsp, Pepper – 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1.5 tbsp
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Tamarind – gooseberry size
• Fresh grated coconut – 1/4 cup
• Nallennai / Gingelly oil / Sesame oil – 4 to 5 tbsp
• Salt – to taste

To temper

• Mustard – 1 tsp
• Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
• Whole Jeera – 1/2 tsp
• Vendhayam / Fenugreek – 7 seeds

Procedure

• Clean and chop all the vegetables. Prepare other ingredients and set aside.

• Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water and extract the juice out of it using hands and then strain using a sieve or just strain with your hands. Discard the pulp.

• Take a small mixie jar. Add in the kuzhambu milagai podi, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and grated coconut. Add in 1/2 cup warm water and grind to a smooth paste.

• Take a wide vessel. Add in some nallennai / sesame oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the ingredients under “to temper”.
• Once they splutter add in the chopped small onions and curry leaves.
• Saute till the onion is translucent.

• Add in the tomatoes with 1/2 tsp salt. Cook closed for 2 mins.
• This makes the tomatoes to cook faster. Cook till it is mushy.
• Next add in the chopped vendaikkai and 1/4 tsp salt.

• Saute till half cooked.
• Add in the ground masala paste and tamarind extract and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix well.

• Add in 1 cup water to the mixie and wash off the masalas sticking to it and add that to the kuzhambu. Add this water according to your preference.
• Check for taste and add salt if necessary. Give a mix and close with the lid. Cook in medium flame for 5 mins.

• Open the lid and see whether the vendaikkai / okra is cooked. The color would have changed, and that indicates that it is cooked.
• Simmer for 10 mins till oil floats on the sides and top.

• Serve with Steamed rice, any keerai / spinach poriyal, appalam or omelette.

Notes

• Fresh ingredients makes this kuzhambu taste really good. Try using fresh vegetables and masala powders for a tasty kuzhambu.
• Adding salt little by little while making the kuzhambu ensures that cooking is fast and end product is flavorful.
• If you have a clay pot / man paanai do try cooking this kuzhambu in that vessel. It is more healthy and tastes even more delicious.