Bendakaya Veru Sengakayala Podem.

Lady’s finger or okra is a daily vegetable all over India. Other than frying the okra, it is often stuffed. Here, peanuts are roasted and ground into fine paste along with tamarind and spices. This stuffing is stuffed into lady’s fingers and cooked on low flame till soft. They are then fried till golden color. The stuffed bhendi tastes good with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Makes: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

Bhendi 15 - 20
Tamarind 1 inch sized ball
Cilantro few sprigs
Oil 1 tbsp

Masala:

Roasted Peanuts 2 - 3 tbsps
Roasted Coriander Powder 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder a big pinch
Garam Masala 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:

Wash thoroughly and pat dry bhendi.
Remove ends and slit the bhendi vertically keeping the ends intact.
Soak tamarind in few tbsps of water for sometime and extract all the juice.

Grind the roasted peanuts with other masala ingredients into smooth thick paste adding enough tamarind extract.
Stuff the bhendi with the prepared ground masala paste.

Heat oil in a wide pan, add stuffed bhendi.
Cook covered for around 5 minutes until bhendi pieces turn little soft.
Uncover and fry the cooked bhendi until it gets light golden around the edges.
Stir in cilantro and remove from heat. Roast bhendi to the required preference.
Serve stuffed bhendi with peanuts over plain steamed rice, or with roti or chapathi.
Notes:Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to avoid burning of any stuffing.

Suggestions: If bhendi feels raw, put back in stove and fry till soft and golden if required.
Variations: Use any fresh herbs to finish the stuffed bhendi, Bhendi and Fritters Curry, Okra Caldinha, etc…
Other Names:Peanuts Stuffed Okra Ladyfinger with Groundnut Powder.

Seema Vankaya Kootu

Moong dal is boiled along with chopped chayote in few cups of water till cooked. A paste is made of coconut, roasted red chillies and cumin seeds. This spice paste is added to the cooked dal and boil for a minute. Finally chow chow kootu is tempered with mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. This can be served with rice or roti.
Makes: around 5 Servings

Ingredients:

Chayote 1
Moong Dal 3/4 Cup
Green Chiles 2
Turmeric Powder a pinch
Whole Red Chillies 2
Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
Grated Coconut 2 tbsps
Cilantro few sprigs
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tsp

Talimpu:

Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida a big pinch
Curry Leaves 6
Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Wash thoroughly, halve and discard the inner seed of chayote.
Peel if required and chop chayote into small pieces.
Remove stems, wash and slice the green chiles.
Wash and roughly chop cilantro.

Heat half a tsp of oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and broken red chillies.
Fry for a minute or till aromatic and remove from heat.
Cool and grind into fine paste along with grated coconut using enough water.

Bring to boil a cup of water in a sauce pot.
Add moong dal and boil for 5 minutes.
Then stir in chopped chayote, green chiles and turmeric powder.
Boil again till moong dal is completely cooked and chayote is soft but not mushy.
Now stir in ground coconut paste, cilantro and salt.
Boil the kootu for around 5 minutes and remove from heat.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds almost stop spluttering, remove from heat and add to above kootu.
Mix well and serve chow chow kootu with plain steamed rice and crispy papad.
Notes: Make sure chayote is cooked well before removing from heat.

Suggestions: If chayote pieces feels raw, put the kootu back on stove and cook till chayote is soft.
Variations: Chow Chow Chutney, Chayote with Besan, Chayote with Chana Dal.
Other Names: Choko Kootu, Chocho Kootu, Chayote Kootu.