Ladies Finger / Vendakkai / Okra / Bhindi - Tamarind Stir Fry Recipe

Tamarind pulp keeps the ladyfingers firm in this delicious dish !!

This is the 1st post that I am posting stir fry recipe. My Hubby and me both likes this type of making bhindi very much. This is my Mom-in-law's recipe. Here ladies finger is cooked nicely in tamarind juice, yet the crunchiness remains with a good taste. It pairs very well with plain rice with sambar or rasam. This recipe is very simple, but many of us end up making it very sticky and mushy. Here I have given some basic steps to make Ladies finger for Beginners.

Ingredients:

1. Ladies Finger - 1/4 kg
2. Big Onion - 2 tbsp chopped
3. Tomato - 1 medium size
4. Green Chilli - 2 nos
5. Tamarind - 2 tbsp
6. Mustard - 1/8 tsp
7. Sambar powder - 2 tsp
8. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
9. Oil for cooking - 2 tbsp
10. Salt as per taste

Cooking Method:

• Wash it thoroughly and wipe it nicely using kitchen towel and dry it in a wide plate or any newspaper for at least an hour before you make this.
• Cut the Ladies finger into 1/4 inch size or less. It should not be thin sliced. 
• Heat Oil in a pan add mustard. let it splutter. 
• Then add Onion, Tomato, Green chilli and saute for a minute. 
• Add the Bhindi and saute in medium flame till in half cooked. 
• Then add sambar powder, turmeric and then saute for some time.

Click the Image and zoom you will get clear stepwise pictures

• Soak tamarind in hot water for about 10 mins and extract juice from it. 
• Add this tamarind juice to the bhindi fry along with some salt and cook it all the tamarind water gets absorbed. 
• stir often, so that it may not stick to the pan. saute for some more time in medium high flame. 
• Ladies finger is cooked in tamarind water and sauted in oil itself. 
• No need of additional water to be added. now the crunchiness remains and it is time to switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Notes:

• If you are doing it in the morning, wash ladies finger the before night and just spread it in a newspaper. It will get dried nicely and while cooking it may not stick to the pan. no need to wipe.
• Do not over cook the ladies finger. It will become mushy and does not give crunchiness.
• You can replace sambar powder with coriander powder, red chilli powder and jeera powder. 
• Adding more oil gives great taste.