Vendakkai Morkuzhambu (Okra in yogurt gravy)

Category:  Lunch
Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Servings: 2-3 servings

Mor Kuzhambu or buttermilk kuzhambu is a south Indian gravy made from Indian buttermilk or slightly sour curd / yogurt and goes very well as an accompaniment with rice.

 

Vendakkai Morkuzhambu

We can add vegetables like Okra, white pumpkin / ash gourd or even vadai :) If we run out of veggies, we can prepare this even without any veggies. It will still be very good.

I had already posted a recipe using Ash gourd here - Ash-Gourd Morkuzhambu. This is slightly different from that one posted earlier.

Ingredients:

• Vendakkai / Okra / Lady's finger - 6-8
• Butter milk  - 2 1/2 cups (I used 1 cup of thick curd & 1 1/2 cup of water)
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tsp

To Grind:

• Toor Dhal - 1 Tbsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Green chilly - 2-3, adjust as per spice level

To Temper:

• Coconut Oil - 1-2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds / Vendhayam - 1/4 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Asafoetida /Hing - a pinch
• Red Chilly, broken - 1

Method:

• Soak the Toor dhal in warm water for atleast 30 mins
• Wash, wipe and cut the vendakkai / okra into 1/2 inch pieces. In a pan add 2 tsp of oil and fry them well until they become golden brown

  

• Add the soaked toor dal, cumin seeds, green chillies and coconut in a blender, grind to a smooth paste but not very fine
  
• Beat the curd well; add in the salt and 1 tsp of turmeric powder and mix well. If its very thick, dilute with little water
  
  
• In a pan, add the beaten curd and ground masala, mix well and start cooking in low flame  

• Then add the fried vendakkai to it and continue to cook

 

• When it starts to boil, switch off; Don't let it boil.
  
  
• For tempering, heat oil in another pan and add the other ingredients under tempering and add it to the kuzhambu
  
• Serve hot with rice. It goes well with hot rice and parupusili or thogayal
  
  
• Notes: To prevent curdling of curd, the below points should be considered:
• It should be cooked in low / Simmer flame
• Morkuzhambu should not boil well, once it starts to boil, switch it off
• Also it should not be kept covered until it cools down