Bendekayi -Amtekai Palya | Okra cooked with Indian Hogplum

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I am missing all the pampering and nice dishes that my mom served when I was home last month. Coastal style traditional vegetarian dishes were my favorite in childhood. Bendekayi Amatekai palya i.e., Okra cooked with hogplum was one of those dishes I liked. The hogplaums are crushed in a stone pestle and added to Okra masala. The most cherished part was the crushed hogplum that was cooked in all the masalas and Okra. That was oh so delicious! Here is my mother's recipe. It's a very traditional no fancy recipe. I also didn't get much time to click better pictures. Since one of my friends asked me for the recipe I am sharing with not so great looking pictures. But who cares when taste is the king 😊

 
Ingredients:
Bendekayi /Okra : 500 gms
Onion: 2 medium
Garlic: 3-4 cloves
Amatekai/Indian Hogplum: 4-5
Coconut Oil: 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves: 1 sprig.
Jaggery: 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli powder:  1 tsp
Grated Coconut: 3-4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves: for Garnish

Method:

1. Wash and dry okra completely, chop into 1 inch pieces and keep aside. Wash the hogplums and crush them in a mortar pestle and keep aside until needed.

2. Heat oil in a deep wok and add mustard seeds, when it splutters add curry leaves and crushed garlic and saute for a min

3. Add finely chopped onion and saute until golden in color.

4. Add okra and fry for 2 mins, add the crushed hogplums and saute for 5-6 minutes.

5. Add salt, jaggery, chilli powder and grated coconut and mix well and cook until the okra is done.

6. Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve as a side dish with rice and rasam/sambar:)

Notes:
1. I usually make it with kundapur masala powder instead of plain red chilli powder and skip garlic in the tempering. If you have the powder handy you could use the same, it brings out the authentic coastal taste. Click here for : Kundapur Masala powder recipe.


2. These hogplums are too sour in taste and adding jaggery will cut the sourness. Adjust the amount jaggery according to your taste.

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Chicken Masala

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Here I am back wearing my cooking and clicking hat after a month long stay at home in India. I traveled alone with my hyperactive toddler and I didnt want the world to know how stressed I was about this whole thing. Managing a toddler alone in the airport and safely reaching home was a task for me:) It didn't stop at that as I had to remotely work from India for almost all the days. Did I enjoy the trip? I guess so when I saw my little one enjoying her time with her grand parents and cousins. It was a joy trip for her. I think it was worth it:) I missed my kitchen and cooking a bit specially during deepawali but I totally relished all the special dishes that my mom and mom in law made for me.

When I returned to SG my better half was starving for home made food ;-) So I made this quick chicken dish that doesn't need any marination or extra effort. Put all the basic masalas from ur spice box and you will have this finger licking good chicken ready in 30 minutes. It goes so well with hot roti/chapathi. You can also cook it a little longer to dry it and serve it as a starter. 

Ingredients:

Chicken : 500 gms

Onion: 2

Tomato: 2

Green chillies: 2

Ginger:1 inch

Garlic: 5-6 cloves

Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder: 1 tbsp

Cumin powder: 1 tsp

Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves : 2 tbsp

Lemon juice: 1 tbsp

Oil: 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Wash and clean chicken and cut into medium size pieces and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a deep pan and finely chopped garlic and ginger and sauté, add finely chopped onion and sauté until it turns into golden brown color.

3. Add slit green chillies and red chilli powder, pepper powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt to taste and mix well, sauté on low flame for 30 seconds.

4. Add in chicken pieces and mix well. Cover and cook for 10-15mins or until the chicken is almost cooked. Add a little water if it's too dry.

5. Add finely chopped tomatoes and cover and cook for another 2 minutes.

6. Add garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

7. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice and turn off the flame. Keep it covered for 5 minutes so that all the flavors blend well.

8. Serve it as a starter or a side dish with rotis.

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Charred Brinjal and Coconut Chutney | Smoky Eggplant-Coconut Dip

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I spent my childhood in North Karnataka with a mixture of cultures and food around, my parents are from coastal Karnataka so at home lunch was always a combination of South Canara and Dharwad style recipes, which my mother learnt from our neighbors. Back in my ajji's house they always cook matta rice (boiled red rice) and most of the times we had this rice ganji (water wasn't drained from the rice) for dinner.

It is very healthy and can be eaten with pickle, vegetable palya, happala (papad) or any chutney. My mother used to make different types of chutneys to go with it like raw mango chutney, green tomato chutney or ridge guard peel chutney etc. These chutneys are simple to make with very few ingredients and tastes good with even chapathi or white rice.

Continuing with the recipes from my mother's kitchen, today's post is about delicious and smoky Charred brinjal and coconut chutney.

Learn how to make brinjal- coconut chutney:

Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking time: 15 minutes.
Recipe type: Chutney | Dip | Side Dish

Recipe Source: My mother

Ingredients:
1 medium sized purple Brinjal/Eggplant
1 medium sized Onion
4-5 green chillies
4-5 cloves of Garlic
1 cup fresh coconut
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 slice raw mango cut into pieces
Salt to taste

Method: 
1. Wash and wipe dry the brinjal and roast it on direct flame on the burner. Keep rotating it so it's evenly roasted from all sides.  Discard the charred skin and roughly chop the Brinjal once its cooled down.

2. In Mixer Jar add fresh coconut, raw mango pieces, green chillies, cumin seeds, garlic cloves and salt and grind for a minute, do not make a fine paste. 

3. Mix in roughly chopped onion and charred brinjal pieces and pulse it couple of times, add a little water if needed. This is just to combine everything well. Do not grind continuously as it will turn into a fine thick paste.

4. Serve the delicious smoky chutney with Rice or roti/chapathi. 

Notes:
1. You can replace raw mango with tamarind pulp but the mango flavor is highly recommended.
2. Roast the brinjal thoroughly from all sides, it's easier to remove the skin when its well cooked.
3. Do not grind the brinjal to fine paste as the taste will completely change.

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Bendekayi palya / masala bhindi /lady's finger

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Bendekayi or lady's finger aka okra is one of my favorite vegetables. Some people do not like this vegetable because of the sliminess. Deep frying or shallow frying the okra on high flame reduces sliminess. 

Ingredients:

Lady's fingers/okra : 500 gms

Onion: 2 medium

Tomato: 1 big

Ginger: 1 inch

Garlic: 5-6 cloves

Green chillies: 5-6

Cumin seeds:1 tsp

Coriander powder: 1 tsp

Cumin powder: 1/2 tsp

Garam masala: 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

Dry mango powder: 1/2 tsp

Oil: 2 tbsp +1 tbsp for shallow frying okra.

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and clean the okra and dry them completely, Cut them into small pieces.

2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and shallow fry the okra on high flame until the sliminess is gone. Takes about 8-10 minutes. Remove and keep it aside.

3. Chop garlic, ginger and green chillies finely and chop onion roughly.

4. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and fry for 30 seconds.

5. Add garlic and green chillies and sauté for a while then add ginger and onion and sauté until the onions turn translucent.

6. Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric and salt and mix well and let it cook until the tomatoes are soft.

7. Next add cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and sauté until all the masalas are blended.

8. Add fried okra and mix well. 

9. Add dry mango powder and sauté  on high flame for another 2-3 minutes and turn off.

10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with roti/chapathi or any bread of your choice.

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