Vendakkai Pachadi
This Chettinad side dish is a family favorite. With every bite comes a little spice, a little tang and a lot of okra!
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 2 cups okra (cut into small pieces)
- ½ cup toor dhal
- ½ cup onion (chopped)
- 1 medium sized tomato (chopped)
- 6 curry leaves
- 2 tsp sambar powder (adjust to taste)
- 1 small marble sized tamarind (soaked in ¼ cup water)
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 3 tbsp oil
- 2 cups water
For tempering:
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp urad dhal
- ⅛ tsp asafoetida (also known as hing or perungayam)
Instructions
- Wash toor dhal and add to a pressure cooker.
- Then add 1 cup water, turmeric powder and 1 tsp oil to the pressure cooker.
- Cook for 1 whistle and release pressure naturally. Set aside.
- In a frying pan, add 2 tbsp oil. Once hot, add okra and saute until the stickiness goes away. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- In the same frying pan, add the remaining oil. Once hot, add chopped onion and curry leaves and saute for 1 minute.
- Then, add chopped tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the okra, sambar powder, salt to taste and tamarind extract. Mix well and add water as needed.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
- Then, add the cooked toor dhal and mix. Cook for 2 minutes and set aside.
- In a different pan, add ingredients under "For tempering" to hot oil. Once mustard seeds crackle, remove from heat and pour over pachadi.
- Serve hot as a side dish with rice or roti.