Okra (vendakkai in Tamil), the summer-fall vegetable that’s usually found in gumbo in Southern American cuisine is the main star of this traditional hot and sweet pickled side dish called Vendakkai Puli Pachadi.  It’s a must-try gem from South India (especially Palakkad, Kerala) where it’s usually a part of the more elaborate feasts served during festive times. But it’s such a simple recipe that it’s found a place in our daily meals. Let’s dive in, but first…

What is a Pachadi?

Pachadi is a traditional South Indian fresh pickle served as a side dish. Typically, pachadis are made with seasonal vegetables or fruits. The word pachadi means pounded. You will notice that pachadi recipes differ from one cuisine to another where the fruit or vegetable is either finely chopped, blended, ground, minced, mashed or diced as per the cooking methods. They are usually hot and sweet or hot and sour. The heat is from spicy green/red chilies, with sweetness from jaggery or sugar and sourness from yogurt or tamarind (puli – Tamil)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED for VENDAKKAI PULI PACHADI

Ingredients

Note: 1 cup = 235 ml

1. 4 cups or 500 gms okra / vendakkai, diced to ½ inch slices
2. 3 Tbsp. tamarind paste / 50 gm tamarind 
3. 2 cups water
4. 2 Tbsp. coconut oil
5. 1 tsp. mustard seeds
6. 2 tsp. split urad dal
7. ⅛ tsp. asafoetida (hing)
8. 2 sprigs curry leaves, leaves separated from stem
9. ¼ cup ginger, finely chopped
10. ¼ cup green chilies, finely chopped
11. ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
12. Salt to taste (1 ¾ tsp. salt)
13. 4 Tbsp. jaggery powder / crushed
14. A pinch of roasted fenugreek powder

Okra is also popularly known as also known as lady’s finger

Kitchen tools

1. Small mixing bowl
2. Large flat bottom pan
3. Flat ladle

PREPARATION – VENDAKKAI PULI PACHADI (with step-by-step photos)

Step 1  – Wash 4 cups (approx. 500 gms) okra thoroughly and let it dry on a tea towel. Pat them dry to make sure they are completely dry before you cut them. Moisture will make okras sticky, so it is important to dry them. Once dry, cut them into ½ inch long slices

Step 2  – Fill a small mixing bowl with 2 cups of water and soak 50 gms tamarind in it for 15 minutes. Alternatively you can heat tamarind and water in the microwave for a minute. Extract the water and set aside

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Step 3  – Set a large flat bottom pan on medium heat and add 2 Tbsp. coconut oil

Step 4  – When the oil is hot, add 1 tsp. mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. Add 2 tsp. split urad dal and roast until it is golden brown

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Step 5  – Add ⅛ tsp. asafoetida, 2 sprigs curry leaves, ¼ cup finely chopped ginger, ¼ cup finely chopped green chillies, mix well, and cook for 30 seconds

Step 6  – Add 4 cups diced okra, ¼ tsp. turmeric powder, mix well and cook for a minute

Step 7  – Pour the tamarind extract water (2 cups from step 2 – use only the water, leave out the tamarind), and add salt to taste (1 ¾ tsp). Bring this to a boil, close with a lid and cook for 10 – 12 minutes until the okras are almost cooked

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Step 8  – Now add 4 Tbsp. jaggery powder and cook until the okras are soft

Step 9  – Add a pinch of roasted fenugreek powder, give it a good mix. When the consistency of the dish is semi-solid, turn off the heat and transfer it to a serving bowl

Step 10  – Enjoy your sublime vendakkai puli pachadi on the side with your favorite molagootal, kootu, dal along with rice or just simply with curd rice 😋

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Every time my mom prepared vendakkai pachadi, I would lick it off the plate. After getting married, I reduced the amount of chilies that were required for the recipe to accommodate my hubby who is a mild food eater. But the end result was not as good as my mom’s and this dish fell out of favor. Several years later when my mom was visiting us, she made the dish and hubby loved it so much that he wanted me to learn it from her again. All I had to do was increase the amount of green chilies and the taste was back on track. What I learnt from this experience is that sometimes we change spice levels so dramatically that it ends up ruining the basic taste of the dish. So when you attempt to make Okra Pachadi, just go all in with the chilies and you will not be disappointed😀

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