Name: South Indian Vendakkai Poriyal
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150 g Okra, vendakkai/bhindi, chopped into thin rounds; ½ Onion, finely chopped (sambar onions/shallots are preferred); 2½ tbsp Fresh Coconut, grated; ½ tsp Mustard Seeds; ½ tsp Split Black Gram (Skinless), split black gram; ½ tsp Split Bengal Gram; 1 Dried Red Chili Peppers, broken; 7½ Curry Leaves; ⅛ tsp Ground Turmeric; ⅛ tsp Asafoetida, hing; 1 tbsp Coconut Oil, essential for authentic flavor; ½ tsp Salt, to taste

45 mintotal

30 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

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Method

Heat coconut oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai on medium heat.
Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Add urad dal and chana dal. Sauté on low heat until the dals turn a light golden brown and become aromatic.
Add the broken dry red chillies, curry leaves, and asafoetida (hing). Fry for 5 seconds.
5 sec
Add the finely chopped onions (or shallots) and sauté until they become soft and translucent.
Add the chopped okra (vendakkai) and turmeric powder. Mix well to coat the okra in the tempered oil.
Sauté the okra on medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Cooking on high heat initially helps eliminate the sticky mucilage.
5–6 min
Once the sliminess reduces, add salt to taste. (Adding salt too early pulls out moisture and increases sliminess).
Lower the heat and cook uncovered for another 8-10 minutes until the okra is completely tender and slightly shrunk.
8–10 min
Turn off the heat. Add the fresh grated coconut and mix gently.
Serve warm.

How to tell it's done

Distinct, non-sticky, bright green rounds of okra tossed with crunchy golden lentils and fluffy, sweet coconut.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

130kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein2.6 g8%
Carbohydrate10.8 g31%
Fat9.3 g61%

Sugars: 2.9 g
Saturated fat: 7.5 g
Fibre: 3.9 g
Sodium: 591 mg
Potassium: 317 mg
Calcium: 73 mg
Iron: 1 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

Never cover okra with a lid while cooking a dry Poriyal. Trapped steam condenses back into the pan, making the okra soggy and slimy.

What to serve it with

A daily lunchtime essential in Tamil Nadu, traditionally served as a dry side dish alongside Sambar, Rasam, and Steamed Rice.

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