Vendakkai Vatha Kulambu or Sun Dried Turkey berry with Okra in a tamarind Sauce

          Hi Viewers,

                     Its been over a month since I touched this blog.  I have been on vacation for a long time and I miss my blogging a lot and here is my recipe.



            This dish is famous in Tamilnadu, Southern Part of India which is healthy, tangy and flavorful. This tastes divine and often made with Okra, which is a tasty rendition of tamil culture and village cuisine. When combined with rice mixed with sesame oil, makes a wonderful lunch. This dish goes well with appalam or papad or creamy spinach



  Ingredients

      1/4 Cup of Dry Vathal
      1/4 Cup of Lady's Finger
      1 Chopped Onion(Big)
      5-6 Garlic Cloves
      Lemon Size Tamarind  
      1/2 Tsp of Turmeric
      3 Tsp of Vatha Kulambu Powder
      1/2 Tsp of Sugar or Jaggery
      Salt and water as needed

  To Temper

      2 Tbsp of Gingelly(Sesame Oil)
      2 Red Chillies
      1 Tsp of Mustard
      1 Tsp of Urad Dal
      1/2 Tsp of Fenugreek
      Few Curry Leaves
      Pinch of Hing(Asafoetida)

  Method

• Extract the juice from the tamarind by keeping it in hot water for 15 mins.
• Heat oil in a pan, roast the vathal until it turns dark and keep it aside.
• Heat oil in a pan and add red chillies, wait until it turns to dark brown color.
• Add mustard, urad dal, fenugreek, curry leaves, hing and turmeric (add one by one)
• Add garlic and fry for few mins.
• Add chopped onion and salt saute for few mins until it turns transparent.
• Add Vatha Kulambu powder and lady's finger. Sprinkle some water and cover it with a lid and cook in a medium flame for 3-4 mins.
• Now add thick tamarind juice. Mix well and cook in medium flame for 7-10 mins.
• When the kulambu gets thick enough, add sugar or jaggery and turn off the stove.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with rice...

  Tips

• Use shallots instead of big onion, it tastes great.
• You can use 2 tsp coriander powder and 1tsp of chilly powder instead of sambar powder. 
• Add salt while frying onion so it helps to cook onion faster
• Adding sugar/ jaggery gives sweet flavor in spicy curry.