BENDAKAYA PULUSU (OKRA IN TAMARIND GRAVY)

Bendakaya (okra) ---- 1cup cut in to 1 inch cubes
Onion --- 1 big finely chopped
Green chilies – 3 cut in to small pieces
Garlic – 3 cloves chopped finely
Tomato --- 1 medium finely chopped
Curry leaves – 10 – 12 leaves
Oil – 1 tab sp
Mustard seeds – 1/2tea sp
Cumin seeds --- 1 tea sp
Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tea sp
Chana dal --- 1 tea sp
Urad dal – 1 tea sp
Red chilies --- 2 broken in to small pieces
Tamarind – small lemon size ( or 1 tab sp tamarind pulp)
Red chili powder – 1 tea sp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tea sp
Freshly grinded coriander and cumin powder --- 1 tea sp
Salt to taste
Soak tamarind in water for 10 – 15 min. and extract juice with 1 cup water (or if you are using tamarind pulp dilute the pulp in 1 cup water)
Heat oil in a sauce pan add mustard seeds and let them popup then add chanadal, uraddal, cumin seeds, broken red chilies, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves fry for a sec.
Now add chopped onion and garlic and fry till onion become soft then add chopped tomato, green chilies and cook till tomato become soft.
Then add okra cubes add salt, red chili powder cumin and coriander powder mix once and let it cook on a low flame till okra pieces are 3/4 cooked stir in between if required sprinkle little water.
After okra pieces are 3/4 cooked add tamarind juice mix well and cook till raw smell of the tamarind disappears and gravy becomes thick(this gravy should be in a thick sambar consistency not so watery)
If you like add 1 tab sp grated jaggery now and cook for 1 sec. and remove from heat.
Serve hot with steamed rice and Muddapappu (plain tour dal cooked with salt and turmeric) and ghee
Enjoy your meal