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Vendakka Thayir Pachadi Recipe Video

Pachadi's are indispensible side dishes in Kerala cuisine particularly during festivities such as Onam. This scrumptious Vendakka Pachadi is a combination of taste, texture and flavor. The crisp cooked lady finger's or the vendakka dipped in finely seasoned yoghurt go perfectly well with mains including rice, chappatis or different kinds of rotis.

Summary

Preparation Time10 MinCooking Time5 Min

Ready In15 MinDifficulty LevelEasy

Health IndexAverageServings4

CuisineKeralaCourseSide Dish

TasteSourMethodMixing

SpecialityPart of MenuVegetarianVegetarian

Main IngredientLadyfingersInterest GroupExotic

Recipe Story

I remember making this once for my Kerala guests who had come over for a surprise dinner and were totally enthralled on being served a traditional dish from their culture elsewhere. Although the meal was planned enough in advance, the ethnicity of the guests came to our knowledge much later- half an hour’s time before they arrived. I quickly looked into the fridge to make up something out of what I had and to my delight I found a bag of crisp and tender okra lying in a corner as well as thick unsour curd which is a must for this. This amazing recipe came in hand for me to make-up the delicious raitha-like Vendakka Pachadi. Besides the guests we too loved this dish and now on it has become a regular feature in our house-hold today. After all India is a land of varied cultures and a mélange of ideas like this makes a simple meal a feast indeed!!

Ingredients

Lady’s finger - 200 gms

Thick curd (not sour) - 1 cup

Scraped coconut - 1 cup

Green chilies - 4

Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp

Refined oil – 3 tbsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Broken white gram – ½ tsp

Curry leaves

Directions

MAKING
1. In a blender or mixer blend combining coconut, green chilies as needed, cumin seeds and few curry leaves to make a smooth paste.
2. In a deep fry - pan heat 3 teaspoons oil, add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
3. Then add the curry leaves and white gram and saute until they turn light brown.
4. Then add the lady’s finger and stir fry over low fire adding a little salt until it turns brown and crisp.

FINALIZING
5. In the meanwhile mix the blended paste and salt with the thick curd well to form smooth gravy.
6. Add the cooked lady’s finger to the curd paste and mix well.

SERVING
7. Garnish with a few curry leaves and serve.

TIP
Make sure that the curd is not even a little sour.

Editors Review

Pachadi, especially vendakka pachadi is a very common part of a sadya or wedding meal. Its simplicity balances out the heat of the other curries and side dishes that are seen as more important. This recipe has lightly fried lady’s finger (okra) added to a yogurt sauce, which makes it thick and creamy without being overwhelmingly coconutty or cashewy. The traditional recipes of this Pachadi ask to deep-fry the okra first and then drown it in a heavy sauce of coconut,, cashew and yogurt. This is a healthier,