Okra or ladies’ finger is known as ‘Bendekayi’ in Kannada. Okra is high in vitamins C and K, antioxidants and provides protein, a nutrient that many other fruits/vegetables lack.
Bendekayi Gojju is one of the ways to make use of okra in our diet. Curry gives you perfectly tender and smooth okra in mildly sweet and tangy coconut gravy which is mouthwatering. Truly!
This curry is quite popular in south Karnataka. It is known as ‘Bendekayi Kayirasa’. A quite flavourful one – has a note of sweetness from the jaggery that perfectly reduces the heat-induced by red chilies and complements the tanginess added by tamarind.
Okra has a slimy texture, getting rid of it is very important before you put them in the gravy. There are two ways to do it – a) boil okra in tamarind water till the stickiness goes away. b) sautee okra in a pan with little oil in low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
I prefer the second option, it helps retain the color and tenderness.
How to prepare Bendekayi Gojju ?
Wash and dry okra before preparing to cook them. Sautee okra in a pan until tender(stickiness will go away when tender), just enough to retain the texture.
Or you could bake the Okra until crisp. If you are using frozen okra, baking is the best option. Do not thaw. Place the okra on a baking tray, sprinkle salt and dry mango powder. Bake @450 F for 15 mins.
Prepare the lentil – coconut gravy. Lentils used for the curry is split black gram (skinned). fresh or frozen Coconut, lentils, fenugreek (methi seeds), cumin, red chillies, tamarind, and jaggery are ground together.
I the like gravy thick, so have used less water. Add water based on the consistency you need for the gravy.
Note that gravy will be soaked up by okra, so add water accordingly. Spice up the gravy by adding extra red chillies. I used Kashmiri red chilli for getting the bright red coloured curry.
Boil the above-prepared mixture, and put in the okra that was sautéed. Cover and keep them in gravy for at least 30 mins before serving. This will help okra absorbs the flavors from the gravy.
Serve the Bendekayi Gojju with your favourite choice of flatbread or rice.
I hope you like okra curry. It is
- tender
- smooth
- perfectly sweet and tangly
- flavourful
- & drool worthy!
Your valuable feedback is appreciated. If you try this recipe, leave a comment below, rate it, or tag a photo #eateriesdelightful on Instagram 🙂
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Okra Curry | Bendekayi Gojju| Bendekayi Kayirasa
Curry gives you perfectly tender and smooth okra in mildly sweet and tangy coconut gravy
- 450 g okra
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp dry mango
- 2 tsp tamarind syrup or 1 gooseberry sized tamarind
- 1 tbsp jaggery
- 1/2 cup coconut
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek
- 2 tsp urad dal/black lentils
- 2- 4 red chillies (kashmiri red chilli(for color) and byadige chilli for spice!)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 tsp oil
- salt to taste
- water for grinding (approximately 1/2 cup)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 4-5 curry leaves (optional)
- wash and dry okra. chop them into 2-3 cm length pieces after discarding the ends
- Heat 2 tsp oil in the pan, add okra, dry mango, and allow it to cook in low-medium flame for about 10 -15 mins. Add turmeric, and sprinkle salt after 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. If you stir often, the okra pieces will turn out sticky.
- While okra is getting cooked, prepare the mixture for gravy. Heat 1 tsp oil, add urad dal/lentils, fenugreek, cumin, red chillies, and sautee until lentils turn golden.
- In a blender, add coconut, spices mixture, tamarind, jaggery, and water. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the gravy to a deep bottom pan. Bring it to boil along with salt.
- Adjust the spices, and add okra.
- Close the lid and turn off the stove.
- Prepare the tempering with mustard seeds, and curry leaves. Heat oil add curry leaves, mustard seeds and let the mustard seeds crackle. Mix it to the gravy before serving.
Serve hot along with rice or roti.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you. Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #harshrurecipes.
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