Bhindi Vatha Muzhabu AKA வெண்டைக்காய் வத்தக் குழம்பு

Ingredients

1. Lady's finger or Bhindi - 300 gms - cut into medium size pieces
2. Lemon sized tamarind 
3. 1 tsp of jaggery powder, salt to taste
4. grated red chilies powder - 1/2 tsp
5. turmeric - a pinch

Dry-Roast Items

1. 2 tbsp turdhal, 1/2 tsp of chenna dhal & ud.hal mixture
2. Red chilies - 10-12 nos 
3. Kashmiri  Chilies - 3-4 for color
4. Coriander seeds - 3/4th cup

Seasoning Items

1. Seasame Oil - 1/3 cup
2. fenugreek seeds - 1/3 tsp
3. curry leaves - 10-15 leaflets
4. red chilies - 2-3 cut into small pieces
5. tuar dhal - 1 tsp
6. mustard - 1 tsp
7. asefotida - 1/2 tsp
8. Red Chili Powder - 1tsp

Garnishing Items

1. Green Coriander leaves - fist full, kasturi methi - 1 tsp

Procedure

1. Add turmeric juice, some water, salt and a pinch of turmeric to soaps tone vessel (kachatti in Tamil)
2. Place it on gas and let it boil.
3. In the mean time, in a pan, add sesame oil, and all other seasoning ingredients.
4. when the mustard seeds splutter and tuar dhal gives a nice aroma - add that mixture to tamarind water.
5. Now in the same pan, (with the remaining oil in the pan after tadka) fry ladys finger pieces.
6. Fry them until they get slightly roasted (for 5-7 mins) on med. flame.
7. Now add these Bhindi pieces to tamarind water.
8. Cover it up with a lid and let bhindi get cooked well.
9. Now dry roast all the grinding ingredients.
10. Allow them to cool and add to a mixer.
11. Grind everything to a finely coarse powder.
12. Now open the lid and make sure that bhindi is cooked well.
13. Add jaggery, and the ground powder .
14. In very low flame, mix everything well and make sure that there are no lumps.
15. Leave it n low flame as soapstone retains heat and will keep boiling.
16. Now add all the garnishing items and turn off the gas.

Note: Optionally you can add a tbsp of sambar powder and kalathuppodi to seasoning oil to enhance the sate. This is totally optional.

Note: If reheated , it lasts for upto 10 days outside and for upto a month in fridge. Very tasty and very healthy one!

Sweet smelling vatha kuzhambu is ready! Enjoy it with rice  and sesame oil!