Vendaikai puzhi kuzhambu is a traditional South Indian dish made with okra (vendaikai) in a tangy tamarind-based gravy. Follow the steps below. Your delicious and flavorful okra kuzhambu is ready to be served. You can savor it with rice or any Indian bread. Enjoy!
To prepare this dish, start by cutting washed and dried okra into 2-inch pieces. Soak tamarind in water to extract juice and grind coconut with cumin into a fine paste. In a kadai, fry the okra in oil until it loses its stickiness. Fry until it turns light brown. Then set it aside.
In the same kadai, heat more oil. Add mustard seeds first. Then add Bengal gram dhal, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, and red chillies. Fry these ingredients until they are golden. Next, add curry leaves and onions. Sauté until the onions are translucent. Incorporate garlic and tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are mashed. Mix in sambar powder, turmeric, and salt. Then pour in the tamarind water. Adjust with more water for a gravy-like consistency.
Return the fried okra to the kadai, cover, and let it boil. Finally, stir in the coconut paste. Allow it to boil once more. Your Vendaikai Puzhi Kuzhambu is ready to serve with rice or Indian bread. Enjoy this delicious dish!
Vendaikai Puzhi Kuzhambu Recipe
Vendaikai Puzhi Kuzhambu
4
servings10
minutes15
minutesLearn how to make a flavorful and tangy gravy (kuzhambu) using okra (vendaikai) and tamarind (puzhi). Enjoy with steamed rice. Perfect for a delicious meal!
Ingredients
Okra (Vendaikai) – 8 to 10
Sambar Onion – 10 to 15
Garlic flakes – 6 to 7
Tomato fully ripens (Slightly bigger size) – 1
Tamarind – a small lemon size
Sambar Powder – 2 teaspoon heaped
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 teaspoon
- To grind:
Coconut gratings – 2 tablespoons
Cumin (Jeeragam) – 1 teaspoon
- For seasoning:
Oil -2 to 3 tablespoons
Mustard – 1/2 teaspoon
Bengal gram dhal – 2 teaspoons
Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder – 1/4 teaspoon
Red Chillies – 2
Curry leaves – few
Salt – 1 teaspoon or as per taste
Directions
- Wash and wipe the okra before cutting them into 2-inch long pieces.
- Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and extract the juice.
- Grind coconut and cumin into a fine paste.
- In a kadai, heat one tablespoon of oil and add the okra pieces. Fry them until the stickiness disappears and light brown spots appear. Remove the fried okra and set them aside.
- In the same kadai, add the remaining oil. When it is hot, add mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add bengal gram dhal, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, and red chillies. Fry them until they become light brown.
- Next, add curry leaves and onion, and fry until the onion becomes transparent.
- Add garlic and fry for a while.
- Introduce the tomato pieces along with a pinch of salt and fry until they are well mashed.
- Now, incorporate sambar powder and turmeric powder along with the required amount of salt. Mix everything well.
- Pour in the tamarind water and stir thoroughly. Add a little more water if needed to achieve a kuzhambu (gravy) consistency.
- Include the fried okra pieces and stir once again. Close the kadai with a lid and let it come to a boil.
- Finally, add the coconut paste and mix it well. Allow the mixture to boil again and then remove it from heat.
- Your delicious and flavorful okra kuzhambu is now ready to be served and savored with rice or any Indian bread. Enjoy!
This kulambu is ‘THE’ exact method,my greetings to you.
Thank you Vani Padmanaban.
delicious kuzhambu
very nice dish. tasty to eat.
I tried this dish out today and it came out really well. I dislike vendakkai, but it actually tasted good in this dish 😀
I’ve been following your site for quite some time and I find it very helpful…browsing here is like asking my mother for cooking tips 🙂 Thank you for all these wonderful recipes and keep posting.
Thank you Vidya for your kind words.
Hi aunty,
Tomorrow i am going to try ur Ladies Finger Puzhi Kuzhambu aunty.
Hi aunty,
I prepared and taste is Superb aunty…….