Vendakkai Mor Kuzhambu
Okra in thick buttermilk curry
| PREP TIME | 15 m |
|---|---|
| COOK TIME | 10m |
| SERVES | 5 |
1 tbsp chana dal or split chickpeas or Bengal gram
1/2 tbsp toor dal or split pigeon pea lentils
1 tbsp coriander seeds
75 gms okra, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 cup of fresh grated coconut
4 green chillies
4 dry red chillies
1/2 inch ginger
A pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 cups of sour curd
Salt as per taste
2 1/2 tbsp cold press coconut oil
10 fresh curry leaves
Soak the chana dal, toor dal and coriander seeds in water for half an hour.
Heat coconut oil in a deep bottomed pan. Sauté the chopped okra and when it’s half done, add a pinch of turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp of salt.
In a separate kadai or wok, roast the fenugreek and cumin seeds until they turn golden brown. Keep aside.
In a blender, add the freshly grated coconut, green chillies, red chilli, ginger, asafoetida, turmeric powder, and the lentils, which have been soaked along with the coriander seeds. Grind this to a fine paste. Add the roasted fenugreek and cumin seeds and grind further.
Add the ground paste to the sautéed okra over a low flame for about a minute. Then add a cup of water and let it simmer over a low flame till the raw smell of the spices subsides.
Make buttermilk by whisking yoghurt and water in the following proportion - 3/4 cup of yoghurt and 1/4 cup of water. Add the whisked buttermilk and salt to the sautéed okra. Bring it to a boil over a low to medium flame.
Heat a tadka pan or a tempering wok, add coconut oil. Once the oil heats up, add 1 tsp of mustard seeds. Once it starts to splutter, add the remaining red chillies and the fresh curry leaves.
Pour the tempering over the Mor Kuzhambu.
Serve hot.
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