Name: Andhra Bendakaya Pulusu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150 g Okra, bhindi/bendakaya, chopped into 2-inch pieces; ¼ cup Tamarind Extract, thick juice; ½ Onion, finely chopped; ½ Tomato, finely chopped; 1 Green Chili Pepper, slit; ¼ tsp Mustard Seeds; ¼ tsp Cumin Seeds; ⅛ tsp Fenugreek Seeds, methi dana, crucial for flavor; 7½ Curry Leaves; ½ tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ¾ tsp Red Chilli Powder, Andhra style means slightly spicier; ½ tsp Ground Coriander; ½ tbsp Jaggery, powdered, essential to balance sourness; 1½ tbsp Cooking Oil, divided; ½ tsp Salt, to taste; ¾ cup Water; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

55 mintotal

40 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Spicy

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Method

Heat a portion of the oil in a pan. Fry the okra (bhindi) pieces on medium heat for 5-7 minutes until they are slightly browned and lose their stickiness (slime). Remove and set aside.
5–7 min
In the same pan, heat the remaining oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and fenugreek seeds (methi dana). Let them crackle without burning the methi.
Add curry leaves and slit green chillies. Sauté for 10 seconds.
10 sec
Add the finely chopped onions and sauté until they turn light brown and soft.
Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw smell.
1 min
Add chopped tomatoes, turmeric, red chilli powder, and coriander powder. Cook until tomatoes are mushy and oil starts leaving the sides.
Pour in the thick tamarind extract, jaggery, salt, and the measured water. Mix well and bring the gravy to a rapid boil.
Add the fried okra pieces into the boiling gravy. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and simmer for 8-10 minutes. The okra will absorb the tangy flavors and turn very soft.
8–10 min
Once the gravy thickens slightly and oil floats to the top, turn off the heat.
Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.

How to tell it's done

Soft, juice-filled okra pieces swimming in a glossy, dark, intensely sweet, sour, and spicy tamarind broth.

Getting it right

Tip

Pre-frying the okra removes the slime (mucilage) so that the tamarind gravy remains clean and soupy rather than thick and sticky.

What to serve it with

A daily staple in Andhra households, eaten exclusively with steaming hot rice and a papad.

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Ingredients