Bendekai Gojju/ Okra or Lady’s finger gojju

North Karnataka cuisines have unique taste with the touch of ground nuts &sesame in many of them. They have variety of items like jowar roti, ennegai, rice, rasa/gojjus, chutney powders and sambhar in a thali / full plate meal. They also have easy to make food like menthe kadubu, mudde palya, junaka and special sweet dishes like variety laddoos/ undes with peanuts & sesame. I learnt few of them from my good friend and neighbour Anuradha who taught me the recipes.

Today’s focus is a quick gojju recipe with lady’s fingers (Recipe credit: Anuradha Kulkarni). This can be prepared with bitter gourd or ridge gourd as well is what I understood. This gojju (or they call it as rasa) is a must have in a special thali.
Okra/ lady's finger is a great source of vitamins, minerals & fibre. It is useful in treating diabetes, constipation. This is a useful vegetable which can be used in preparing various cuisines. 

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

Lady’s finger/ Bendekai – 15

Tamarind – Gooseberry or nellikai sized/ 1.5 tsp pulp

Jaggery – 2 tbsp, adjust to taste

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Rice flour – 1-2 tsp

Mustard – ½ tsp

Cumin – ½ tsp

Asafotida – a pinch

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Method:

• Wash and chop lady’s finger in small pieces and keep aside.
• Soak tamarind in little water and squeeze with fingers to get the juice.
• Heat a wok/ kadai. Add oil, mustard, cumin and allow spluttering.
• Add curry leaves, turmeric powder and chopped lady’s finger. Add salt. Fry on medium flame until the stickiness goes off to some extent. By then it is almost cooked.
• Now, add the soaked tamarind, jaggery, chilli powder and about 2 cups of water. Bring to boil.  The consistency will be watery.

• Mix 2 tsp rice flour in little water without lumps and add it to the boiling gojju. Boil for 2-3 minutes. Switch off the stove when the gojju thickens.
• Serve with Rice or chapathi. It works well with curd rice too.

Note:

• Roasted peanut powder can be used instead of rice flour which gives a different taste.