Ladies finger/Okra/Bindi kuzhambu - Vendakkai kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Ladies finger/Okra/Bindi - Vendakkai - 1/4 kg
Onion - Vengayam - 1 no.
Thakkali - Tomato - 2 nos. (Medium size)
Tamarind - Puli - lemon size
Garlic - Poondu - 5 nos.
Red chilly - Kaintha milagai - 2 nos.
Mustard seeds - Kadugu - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - Jeeragam - 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida - Perungayam - a pinch
Black gram dal - Ulutham paruppu - 1 table spoon
Bengal gram dal - Kadalai paruppu - 1 table spoon
Curry leaves - Karuvepilai - small quantity
Grated/shredded coconut - Thuriviya thengai - small quantity
Red chilly powder - Kaintha milagai thul - 1/2 table spoon
Coriander powder - Dhania thul - 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder - Manjal podi - 1 tea spoon
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Chopp onions and tomatoes. Make tamarind paste. Peel off the skin from garlic, grind coconut to a paste and keep other ingredients ready.
2. Heat oil in a pan/kadai, add asafoetida, splutter mustard seeds, add cumin seeds, black gram dal, bengal gram dal, curry leaves and red chilly and fry for some time. Then add chopped onions and garlic (whole), then add tomatoes (Squeezed), allow it to boil for some time.
3. Now add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, little salt, then tamarind paste and add water so that it becomes like a soup. Wash and cut ladies finger and keep in oven for some 4 minutes, add this to the boiling kuzhambu. Let it boil so that thickness comes to more than a little half. Finally add coconut paste.

Mirchi/Spicy okra kuzhambu is ready to be served. This can be served for 4 people. This requires hardly 20 minutes to cook. This can be served along with white rice.

Note: Remove dust particles from tamarind using filter. Always use fresh vegetables.

Optional: Ingredients can be added/removed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okra

We are living in a world today where lemonade is made of artifical flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons
Alfred E. Newman