Vendakkai, verkadalai varuval / Bendakaya, palli vepudu / Okra or ladies finger stir fry with groundnut kernels

 

My husband's favourite vegetable. Groundnut is also his favourite. If I serve them together he just loves it. This dish is inspired by a ladies finger and groundnut deep fry recipe which my in-laws prepare often. (I will share that recipe later). That dish tastes awesome and is served in wedding  parties or other grand functions. I like  that dish but I feel guilty to deep fry this green, beautiful veggie. I love the rich green colour of vendakkai. When I got these fresh looking ladies finger I asked Rajender what to do with it. He asked for that deep fried dish but I wanted to try this healthy version. This turned out to be very good. If you love ladies finger and groundnut you will definitely enjoy this dish.

 

Ingredients :

Ladies finger- 1/2 kg

Groundnut- a handful or as much as you wish

Onion- 1 no

Green chillies- 5 nos

Curry leaves- handfull

Mustard and jeera seeds- 1 tspn

Jeera powder- 1 tspn

Oil- 3 tbspns

Salt to taste

Method :

Wash and wipe the ladies finger well. Now cut them into small pieces as shown in picture. Cut onions and green chillies into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets heated add mustard and jeera seeds. When they splutter add the onion pieces, green chillies, curry leaves, enough salt and groundnut kernels. Saute well until the onions turn translucent. Now add the okra pieces and saute on low flame. Before removing from fire add jeera powder and mix well. Remove from fire when the okra is cooked. This tasty, healthy stir-fry is a great accompaniment for rice and chappathi.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : The main thing is to retain the real taste of okra. Do not overfry them. Let them retain their original colour and flavour. Use small groundnut kernels for better taste. Here I don't get them. If you like you can add chilli powder too instead of green chillies. If you like the groundnut to be crispy deep fry them in oil and add to the ladies finger at the end of preparation. Happy cooking !!!

Palli pachadi / nilakadalai chutney / peanut chutney

Rajender's faaavouriteeeeeeee. If I make idly or dosa the first question from him will be 'Did you make palli chutney?'. He will be very happy and satisfied if there is palli chutney. But there is no wonder in it. He comes from a region where groundnut is one of the staple crop. All year round there will be groundnut in his home. His mother makes variety of dishes with groundnut, even for  pongal (pulagam) my mom-in.law adds powdered groundnut instead of moong dhal. In the beginning it was difficult for me to get used to groundnut chutney. In my home, coconut chutney is the standard side-dish for idly and dosa. But once I got used to this palli pachadi, coconut chutney lost its special place. Palli pachadi is very wholesome, satisfying and several times healthier than coconut chutney. Peanuts are rich in heart-healthy fats, proteins, antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. The main disadvantage of coconut is its high saturated fat content. Only after marriage I got to know this tasty chutney. I think everyone knows it well and  this is for people who still do not know this healthy dish. Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients :

Groundnut- 1 cup

Green chillies- 4 nos

Garlic- 1 pod

Jeera seeds- 1 tspn

Onion-  2 or 3 nos of pearl onion or 1/4 of a ig onion

Tamarind- a small piece

Dried red chillies- 4nos

Curry leaves- few leaflets

Jeera seeds,  mustard seeds and urid dhal- 1/2 tspn for tempering

Salt to taste

2 tbspn of oil for tempering

Method :

Fry the groundnuts until they emit a nice aroma. Remove from fire and allow it to cool. Then deskin the groundnuts. If you grind chutney with the skin intact it acquires a bitter taste. Now add green chillies, garlic, jeera seeds, onion and tamarind to the peanuts and grind it to a smooth paste. You can dilute this paste according to your desired consistency. Now temper it using dried red chillies, jeera, mustard and urid dhal. Heat oil in a pan. Add urid dhal when the oil is hot enough. When the urid dhal turns brown add jeera and mustard seeds. When they splutter add red chillies and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds. Now transfer this to the peanut chutney. Add salt to taste. Tasty, tasty groundnut chutney will be ready to be served. Peanut butter can't even compete with it in texture and taste.

Taste enhancing tips for this recipe : Make sure you remove the skin before grinding. Small variety  peanuts taste much better than the larger ones. If you need to save time you can also use the deskinned,  fried and salted peanuts which are sold as snacks. One of my friend once added nicely minced red onions to the peanut chutney. It tasted awesome!!! (Thanks Shoba) Happy cooking friends!!!