Bendakaya Pulusu

Bendakaya Pulusu is okra/ bhindi cooked in a spicy tamarind stew or gravy. It’s spicy, hot, tangy and delicious! This Andhra style bhindi pulusu is healthy, comforting and makes for a hearty meal, served with rice, ghee and plain dal. Bendakaya is the Telugu word for Okra. In India it is also known as ladies finger or bhindi.

Pulusu is a traditional stew, that is a an everyday dish made in Telugu speaking homes. A pulusu can be made with many different kinds of vegetables like potatoes, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, drumsticks and even with eggs & chicken.

Unlike the other curried dishes, a pulusu is not cooked with plenty of spices. So it retains the original flavor of the veggies used in the preparation.

Making pulusu is very easy and uses only pantry staples like onions, tomatoes, curry leaves, tempering spices, tamarind, jaggery and sometimes coriander powder. Usually ingredients like garam masala, ginger garlic paste and tomatoes are not used.

Bendakaya pulusu is the only pulusu variety I make with a small amount of tomatoes. You may skip them if you don’t prefer.

This recipe calls for very little coriander powder and a good red chili powder that yields this bright color. I have not used jaggery in this pulusu but if you like you can use.

I like to use potatoes for most of my Andhra pulusu recipes, since they add taste and meal time is smoother with my kids. Just like most kids, my Kids too love potatoes. You can skip, if you don’t like them.

If you are looking for more pulusu recipes, check sorakaya pulusu , egg pulusu , fish pulusu.

For more bhindi recipes, you can check
Okra curry
Bhindi masala
Bhindi ki sabji
Bendakaya fry
Vendakkai poriyal
Ladies finger curry

Photo Guide

How to make Bendakaya Pulusu (stepwise photos)

Preparation

1. Rinse 2 tablespoons tamarind and soak it in ½ cup hot water. When it is soft, squeeze up and strain the juice, discard the pulp.

2. Wash okra under running water. Wipe dry with a clean kitchen cloth or tissue.

3. Chop okra to 1 inch sized pieces. I use a kitchen tissue in between to wipe off the sticky part from the knife.

4. Next chop onions and tomatoes. Set aside.

Make Bendakaya Pulusu

5. Heat a pan with oil, add mustard and methi seeds, allow them to splutter, add curry leaves.Fry till they turn crisp

6. Add onions and green chilies. I did not use green chilies.

7. Fry till the onions turn pink. We don’t have to fry them golden.

8. Add tomatoes, sprinkle salt and turmeric. Fry till the tomatoes turn soft and should have blended of with onions. This step is important for the pulusu to taste good.

9. Transfer potatoes and okra. Fry on high flame for 2 to 3 minutes.

10. Add red chili powder, coriander powder and a little more of the salt. we have already added salt with tomatoes, so don’t use too much. Mix and fry for another 2 minutes for the raw smell from red chili powder to vanish.

11.Pour the tamarind juice that we extracted evenly. Add jaggery as well. I dissolve the jaggery along with tamarind and filter. Stir well.

12. Cover and cook on a low flame for about 3 to 4 minutes.

13. Pour 1 ½ to 2 cups water and cook till the okra is soft cooked. Pulusu cooked on a low flame tastes the best. So if you have time, once it comes to a boil, simmer for a long time till the okra is soft cooked.

Bendakaya pulusu is ready. It can be served with plain pappu or mudda pappu, ghee and rice.

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