Vendakkai Mochai Mandi
This Chettinad Vendakkai (Okra) dish used to be packed as a side for lunch along with yogurt rice. It's great shelf-life makes it the best for long trips and picnics in the hot summer. Whenever you're on the go, this tangy side is just what you'll need!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 cups okra (vendakkai) (chopped)
- ½ cup mochai (Val whole bean)
- 1½ cup water (for cooking beans)
- ¼ cup onion (chopped) I used 8 shallots cut into 4 pieces
- 6 cloves garlic (cut lengthwise)
- 4 green chilies
- 1 cup rice water (water from washed rice)
- 1 tbsp rice flour
- 2 tbsp oil
- small lemon sized tamarind (soaked in ½ cup water)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp urad dhal
- 2 red chilies (split in half)
- 10 curry leaves
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash mochai and soak it in 1½ cups of water for at least 6 hours.
- Once soaked, cook for 3-4 whistles in a pressure cooker. The beans should be soft. Set aside when done.
- Soak tamarind in water and set aside.
- Next, mix rice flour into the rice water and set this aside as well.
- Add oil to a pot. Once hot, add mustard seeds, urad dhal, and red chillies.
- Once mustard seeds start to crackle, add onions, garlic, green chilies, and curry leaves to the pot.
- Sauté for 2 minutes. Make sure the raw smell from the onions and garlic have faded.
- Then, add the cut okra to the pot and sauté for 4-5 minutes. The stickiness should be gone.
- Now, add the cooked mochai beans and mix well.
- Pour in the rice water and flour mixture along with the extracted tamarind juice.
- Add salt to taste. Adjust the consistency of the mandi by adding more water, if needed.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes.
- Once the okra is well cooked, remove the mandi from the flame.
- Serve as a side dish for yogurt rice.