BENDEKAYI AJETHNA / OKRA STIR FRY (UDUPI STYLE)

Hello!!!!!!

I am back with another easy and yum recipe from the Udupi Cuisine. Udupi cuisine mostly consists of  dishes made from   grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits. The variety and range of dishes is wide, and is made from the  the use of locally available ingredients. It is mostly  Satvik  style which means  no meat ,no onion and no garlic. It is followed by the Brahmin community in this region.

The full course Udupi meal is served on a plantain  / banana leaf, which is traditionally kept on the ground. The dishes are served in a particular order, and each dish is placed on a particular spot of the plantain leaf. Everyone  eating this meal are expected to begin and end eating the meal together. A person cannot get up in middle of the meal, even though he has finished his meal. The start and end of meal is done by saying “Govinda,” . A typical meal is served with the following :

  • Abbhigara or Ghee
  • Salt
  • Pickle
  • Kosambari
  • Bajji or chutney
  • Ajethna / Palya (dry vegetable sabzi)
  • Spiced rice (chitranna)
  • Happalla
  • Steamed rice
  • Saaru /Rasam
  • Menaskai/ Gojju
  • Koddelu / Sambhar
  • Majjige Huli /Tambuli
  • Sweets like laddu, holige or Kesari bhath
  • Fried items like bondachaklivada
  • Paramanna or Kheer (pudding) or Payasa
  • Buttermilk/curd

Today as a part of our 119th #Foodiemonday #Bloghop theme #udupicuisine  I am sharing a simply dry sabzi that i usually make  and that  is Bendekayi Ajethna or Palya .

Ingredients:

30 Okras / Benekayi

3/4 Cup freshly grated Coconut

6 Dry red Chillies

Lemon Size Tamrind

1 Tsp Palm Jaggery

Salt to taste

For Seasoning / Tadka:

1 1/4 Tsp Mustard Seeds / Sasive

3 Dry red Chillies

3/4 Tsp Split Urad Dal

A generous pinch of Hing / Asafoetida

2 Tbsp Cooking Oil

Curry leaves -A handful

Method:

Wash the Okras or benekayi and dry them nicely with a clean hand towel . Chop them into small pieces and keep it aside. Soak tamrind in 2 tbsp warm water .Extract the juice and discard the pulp.It should be thick and not watery.

Heat a heavy bottom pan. Add oil. Once the oil is hot add  split uraddal ,hing and dry red chili (3 nos).Once the dal changes color slightly add mustard seeds and curry leaves .Once it  splutters add the chopped okra / bendekayi and mix well and  fry on high  flame. Do not cover the pan.Keep stirring and ensure it does not burn. In the meantime coarsely grind fresh coconut and red chilies  and keep it aside. Do not add water . Now add tamrind paste ,salt and palm  jaggery to the half cooked okras. Mix well and cook till all the tamrind mixture is well absorbed. Lastly add the coconut mixture and mix well. Let it cook on low flame for 5-8 mins.

Garnish with freshly grated coconut and serve hot with steamed rice , saaru and  kottambri tambli.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!

Notes:

I have used Byadgi Chillies which gives nice colour and is not so spicy.

I always prefer to use palm jaggery.You can used normal jaggery in case you cannot find palm jaggery.

I will share the Kottambri Tambli recipe in my next post.

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