Vendakkai Karakuzhambu

Ingredients

Gingely / Sesame oil - 3 tbsp

Mustard - ½ tsp

Fenugreek - ¼ tsp

Cumin/jeera - ¼ tsp

Curry leaves - few

Shallots - 10 chopped

Lady’s finger (Vendakkai) - 10 pieces

Garlic - 10

To make kuzhambu extract.

Tamarind - big gooseberry size extracted to 1 cup with water

Chilli + Coriander powder / kuzhambu podi - 3 tbsp

Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp

Tomato - 1 medium finely chopped

Salt - to taste

Water - 1 ½ cups

Instructions:

1. Heat Oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, once it sputters add fenugreek seeds and jeera.

2. Add Garlic and fry for a minute, then add shallots and curry leaves.

3. Once the shallots are nice and soft, add in the lady’s finger pieces and saute for 5 minutes in low flame. Add very little salt in this stage.

4. Make a paste with tamarind extract, tomatoes (crush with your hand), salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder.

5. Once the tomatoes are crushed, add 1 ½ cups of water to it.

6. After the lady’s finger is partly cooked add this extract to the kadai.

6. Bring it to a boil.

7. Keep the flame in low and allow it to boil for 20 minutes.

8. Stir in between and add a pinch of jaggery (optional).