BENDEKAYI YELLU GOJJU

Gojju is a traditional South Indian Side dish/gravy which is usually eaten with rice. There are many varieties of Gojju that can be prepared.


Ingredients

Gojju powder: 3-4 tbspn
Ladies finger/Okra/Bendekayi: 12 (medium sized)
Tamarind: 1 lemon sized ball
Salt: to taste

For seasoning:
Mustard seeds: 1 tspn
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tspn
Curry leaves: 7-8 nos.

Preparation

• Chop the ladies finger into inch sized pieces.
• Add oil to a pan, Once oil is hot enough, add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add Turmeric powder. Your seasoning is ready.
• Stir fry the chopped ladies fingers and the curry leaves in the seasoning.
• Meanwhile soak the tamarind in hot water and extract tamarind juice and discard the pulp. 
• Once the veggies are cooked, add gojju powder, salt and tamarind juice and bring it to a boil.
• Let it boil for 4-5 minutes till it thicken

Notes

• Only certain vegetables work well for this ellu gojju. Ladies finger, bitter gourd, chowchow, sonde balekayi. 
• The dals used in the gojju powder adds thickness to it.
• You can add about 1-2 tspn jaggery powder before it starts boiling, if you like your gojju to be slightly sweeter.