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    Home » South Indian Kuzhambu Varieties » Bendekai Gojju | Tamarind-Based Okra Gravy

    Bendekai Gojju | Tamarind-Based Okra Gravy

    Posted on February 1, 2022 · Last Updated on August 20, 2022 · By Srividhya G · Leave a Comment

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    okra gojju with text overlay for pinterest

    Quick and easy bendekai gojju, not-so-spicy tamarind-based okra, and shallots gravy with a tiny hint of sweetness! A perfect rice accompaniment!

    overhead shot of vendakkai gojju in a bowl with a ladle inside

    Today, I will share an easy rice accompaniment that you can make in less than 30 minutes! It’s the bendekai gojju. Bendekai means okra in Kannada, and gojju is a tamarind-based gravy/stew. I have already shared a tomato gojju without any onions and garlic. Here is another one with subtle differences. 

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Dietary specifications
    • Okra gojju recipe with step-wise pictures
    • Recipe notes
    • Explore other okra recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    As I have mentioned in my other posts, I grew up eating a mix of Kannada ad Tamil cuisine food, and this gojju is like vathal kuzhambu (manathakkali vatha kuzhambu) but with a tiny hint of sweetness. You can make gojju in different ways, and this is how my mom always makes it, and I am sharing the same. 

    So what makes this dish so delicious? We add slit green chili and toor dal while tempering to enhance the flavor. Also, we add extra tamarind, sambar powder, and jaggery to balance it. It’s spicy, slightly sour, and sweet too! This gojju will tingle your taste buds. 

    It’s a very straightforward recipe and let’s get straight into the ingredients and procedure. 

    bendekayi gojju served in kadai bowl on a slate board with yellow fabsirc on the side

    Ingredients

    Okra and shallots: Use tender okra. Shallots add a nice flavor to this gojju, but you can make it without it. 

    To Temper: I highly recommend using Indian sesame oil or gingelly oil for this recipe. We need mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, and toor dal for tempering. Also, we add slit green chili while making gojju. Depending upon your taste preference, you can adjust the green chilies.

    Note about fenugreek seeds – I usually add little extra fenugreek seeds. Given the health benefits of fenugreek seeds, I add more to my sambar and kuzhambu varieties. Instead of 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds, you can add ½ tsp. 

    Tamarind paste: I used my homemade tamarind paste for this recipe. I mixed 2 tsp of tamarind with 1 cup of water. I included some ground turmeric with this mix. 

    Sambar powder: I used my homemade sambar powder. You can use a mix of sambar powder and rasam powder. Mixing the sambar powder in water avoids lumps. But you can add directly too. 

    Jaggery: Yet another key ingredient in the gojju. We are adding both green chili and sambar powder. To balance the spice, add some jaggery. I have added 15 grams of jaggery here, adjusting to taste. 

    Rice flour: To thicken the gojju, we add rice flour slurry. Depending upon consistency preference, adjust the rice flour and water measure. If you want a thin consistency gojju, skip the rice flour, add that ½ cup of water, and simmer the gojju.

    bendekayi gojju served in kadai bowl on a slate board with yellow fabsirc on the side

    Last but not least, the secret ingredient is ground fenugreek and turmeric powder. You need ¼ tsp of this powder, and you add this towards the end and simmer just for 2 minutes. 

    How to make this powder – roast 1 tbsp of fenugreek seeds until it turns deep golden brown and let it cool. Grind it with 1 tsp of turmeric powder and store it in an air-tight container. You can add this powder to vathal kuzhambu, pulikachal, pickles, thokku for added flavor. 

    We also need curry leaves, salt, and water from these ingredients. Please see the recipe card for detailed measurements. 

    Dietary specifications

    This bendekayi gojju or okra curry is vegan and nut-free naturally. Use gluten-free asafoetida for a gluten-free version. 

    This gojju stays suitable for two days even without refrigeration and for up to 5 days when refrigerated. You can serve this with plain steamed rice and any dry curry/poriyal or kootu or serve it with ven pongal. 

    vendakkai vathakuzhambi served in a bowl placed on a black slate board with yellow fabric on the side with some shallots and curry leaves on the side

    Without any further ado, let’s see how to make this okra gojju. 

    Okra gojju recipe with step-wise pictures

    • Heat a saucepan or kadai. I used my clay pot. Add the sesame oil. Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, toor dal, and asafoetida when the oil is hot. Let the mustard seeds splutter, and mustard seeds turn color. Add the curry leaves, chopped shallots, and okra. Saute until the shallots turn soft. 
    tempering and sauteing okra and shallot
    • Mix 2 tsp of tamarind paste with 1 cup of water. Add the ground turmeric, and salt too and mix well. Now add this to the okra and shallots.
    adding tamarind water
    • Bring this mixture to a boil.
    simmering the tamarind water until there is no raw smell
    • Parallelly, mix the sambar powder with ½ cup of water without lumps. Add this to the gojju and the jaggery too.
    adding sambar powder
    • Simmer this mixture for 5 to 7 minutes. 
    simmering the gojju
    • At this stage, add the rice flour slurry (mix rice flour with ½ cup water) simmer it for 3 to 4 minutes. The rice flour mix helps the gojju to thicken a bit. 
    adding fenugreek turmeric powder
    • Simmer for 2 minutes, and turn off the heat. Serve hot with rice or with ven pongal.
    gojju after simmering

    Recipe notes

    • Adjust the salt and spices to taste.
    • I won’t recommend skipping green chilies and toor dal. They both enhance the flavor for sure.
    • If you can’t source curry leaves, skip it—no need to add cilantro. 
    • You can add a mix of sambar powder and rasam powder instead of sambar powder alone. 
    • Shallots are optional. Instead of shallots, you can add ¼ cup of chopped red or yellow onions. 
    cooked bendekai gojju in the clay pot

    Explore other okra recipes

    • Stuffed and Baked Okra | Bharwa Bhindi
    • Okra Raita | Easy Bhindi Raita | Spiced Okra in Tempered Yogurt
    • Okra Fry | Vendakkai Curry | South Indian Style Bhindi Fry
    • Bendakaya Pulusu | Tangy and Spicy Okra Gravy

    PS:  If you try this okra tamarind stew/bendekai gojju, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.

    📖 Recipe

    okra gojju served in a kadai bowl with some shallots and curry leaves on the side
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    5 from 1 vote

    Bendekai Gojju | Tamarind-Based Okra Gravy

    Quick and easy bendekai gojju, not-so-spicy tamarind-based okra, and shallots gravy with a tiny hint of sweetness! A perfect rice accompaniment!
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time25 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: South Indian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 125kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Equipment

    • Clay pot or sauce pot

    Ingredients

    Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;

    • 5 okra 75 grams, edges trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
    • 5 shallots 25 grams, peeled and cut into half
    • 2 tbsp sesame oil
    • ½ tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 1 tsp toor dal
    • ¼ tsp asafoetida
    • 1 green chili slit
    • 5 curry leaves
    • 2 tsp tamarind paste
    • ¼ tsp ground turmeric
    • 15 grams jaggery
    • 1.5 tbsp sambar powder
    • 2 cups water divided
    • 1.75 tsp salt
    • 1.5 tsp rice flour

    Instructions

    • Heat a saucepan or kadai. I used my clay pot. Add the sesame oil. Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, toor dal, and asafoetida when the oil is hot. Let the mustard seeds splutter, and mustard seeds turn color. Add the curry leaves, chopped shallots, and okra. Saute until the shallots turn soft.
    • Mix 2 tsp of tamarind paste with 1 cup of water. Add the ground turmeric, and salt too and mix well. Now add this to the okra and shallots.
    • Bring this mixture to a boil.
    • Parallelly, mix the sambar powder with ½ cup of water without lumps. Add this to the gojju and the jaggery too.
    • Simmer this mixture for 5 to 7 minutes.
    • At this stage, add the rice flour slurry (mix rice flour with ½ cup water) simmer it for 3 to 4 minutes. The rice flour mix helps the gojju to thicken a bit.
    • Finally, add the ¼ tsp of fenugreek and turmeric powder, simmer for 2 minutes, and turn off the heat. Serve hot with rice or with ven pongal.

    Notes

    • Adjust the salt and spices to taste.
    • I won’t recommend skipping green chilies and toor dal. They both enhance the flavor for sure.
    • If you can’t source curry leaves, skip it—no need to add cilantro. 
    • You can add a mix of sambar powder and rasam powder instead of sambar powder alone. 
    • Shallots are optional. Instead of shallots, you can add ¼ cup of chopped red or yellow onions. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 125kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 1067mg | Potassium: 191mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
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