Bendekai or Okra Gojju

Today I made Bendekai or Okra(in English) Gojju. Its my mom's recipe and I would to share this with you. Hope you enjoy it.

Serves: 3-4 people

Ingredients:

1/4 lbs Okra

Small lemon size Tamarind Soaked in water

1/2 tsp Jaggery

2 Tbsp Urad Dal

1/2 Tsp Fenugreek seeds

2 Tsp sesame seeds

1/4 Tsp Oil

4-5 Red chillies (or adjust according to taste)

Asafotedia

2 Tbsp coconut(kobri or desiccated coconut)

1 Tbsp oil

1/4 Tsp Mustard seeds

Salt to taste

Few curry leaves

Method:

Dry fry Urad dal, until it turns golden brown and transfer it into a bowl. Dry fry fenugreek seeds until golden brown and the aroma arises and transfer it into the bowl. Dry fry the white sesame seeds until it changes little pinkish in colour and trasfer it into the bowl.

Add 1/4 Tsp oil and add Asafotedia and as soon as the aroma arises transfer it into the bowl and fry the red chilles until the aroma arises and transfer it into the bowl, dont fry until it becomes black. Now fry the desiccated coconut (kobri) until golden brown and transfer it into the bowl, fry all the ingredients on a medium flame.

Until all the ingredients gets cool, you can cut the bendekai or Okra. Trim the edges and slice it. Take a either a deep pan or a non stick vessel add 1 Tbsp oil and add mustard seeds, when it starts to pop up, add the sliced okra and fry for few minutes.

While you are frying the okra or bendekai, grind all the fried ingredients, which would have become cool now, into a smooth paste, adding little water and keep it aside.

Fry the okra or bendekai until its little black and once its fried well, add the tamrind extract, jaggery and salt to taste and few curry leaves and if needed add little water and allow to boil for 5 minutes.

When it boils add the grounded paste and make sure that there are no lumps and adjust water, if its too thick. Gojju is basically on the thicker side. And boil it nicely for 5-10 mins.

Take off from heat and serve hot with rice and some papads(happla and sandige) and enjoy!

Tips:

Gojju can be done with the same recipe with different vegitables, like eggplant, capsicum, bitter gourd.