Vendakkai fry or vendakkai poriyal recipe – Simple South Indian style okra fry recipe. We prefer to have simple and healthy side dishes for dinner. This vendakkai poriyal is made in tamil speaking homes and is almost the same as bendakaya vepudu from andhra cuisine. But there are many different ways of making bendakaya vepudu. Vendakkai poriyal is made with simple and basic ingredients that most Indian kitchens do have.
This okra poriyal goes well with plain rice along with South Indian sambar or rasam. It can also be served with curd rice or lemon rice as well.
You can also pack this in the lunch box along with any variety rice like ghee rice, lemon rice and jeera rice.
I make this recipe usually without coconut, however adding a bit of dried coconut adds flavor. You can make this with or without coconut.
For more Bhindi recipes. you can check
Bhindi fry
Bhindi masala
Bendakaya pulusu
Bhindi ki sabji
Vendakkai fry or vendakkai poriyal recipe
Vendakkai fry
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 250 grams ladies finger / okra / vendakkai
- 2 to 3 tsps oil
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 2 tsp chana dal
- ¼ tsp mustard
- ¼ tsp cumin or jeera
- 1 red chili broken or green chili
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 Pinch hing
- ¼ to ½ tsp red chili powder
- ¾ tbsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
- Salt as needed
to roast & powder or replace with 2 tsps idli podi
- ¾ tbsp urad dal
- ¾ tbsp chana dal
- ½ tsp. cumin or jeera
- ¾ tbsp sesame seeds
- ¾ tbsp coconut optional
How to make the recipe
Preparation for vendakkai poriyal
- Dry roast urad dal and chana dal until golden. Switch off the stove and add sesame seeds , cumin and coconut. Toss them till the sesame seeds splutter. Cool this and powder. You can also use idli podi instead of making this.
- Wash okra under running water. Wipe them dry with a clean kitchen cloth.
- Cut them to thin half inch round pieces.
making vendakkai fry
- Add oil to a hot pan and add cumin, mustard. When they begin to splutter add the dals, red chili and curry leaves. Sprinkle hing.
- When the dals turn golden, add in the chopped vendakkai.
- Stir fry for a minute. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir fry until the stickiness goes off. You will have to constantly keep stirring to prevent burning.
- When they are completely cooked and stickiness goes off, add salt and turmeric.
- Add the spice powder and red chili powder.
- Mix everything well and fry for just a minute.
- You can also cover and cook on a low heat for 2 mins.
- Serve vendakkai poriyal with rice and sambar.
NUTRITION (estimation only)
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
If you are new to cooking, follow my detailed step by step photo instructions for best results.
Preparation
1. This step is optional. You can also use idli podi to make the okra poriyal flavorful. Dry roast dals in a low heat until they turn aromatic. Add in the sesame and coconut. Cool this and powder it.
2. Wash vendakkai under running water. Wipe off with a cloth and chop to half inch thick slices.
How to make vendakkai fry
3. Heat a pan with oil and allow the cumin and mustard to splutter. Saute dals until golden along with red chili and curry leaves. Add hing.
4. When the dals are fried well to golden, add chopped vendakkai. Saute for 2 to 3 mins on a medium heat.
5. Add Lemon juice. This helps the okra to turn less slimy while cooking. You can also skip lemon if you do not like it.
6. Keep stirring and fry the okra on a medium flame until it is cooked well completely. You can also cover and cook once the stickiness has gone. Add salt and turmeric when the stickiness has gone completely and okra is cooked.
7. Add red chili powder and the spice powder.
8. Mix and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
Serve vendakkai fry with rice.
Shanthini Jayanthan says
Tried Vendakkai Fry today and came out well. It was a quick tasty no slimy dish.
Thank you again for sharing tasty step by step recipes.
swasthi says
Welcome Shanthini
🙂
Sri says
Thank you for the simple recipes. I am learning to cook from your site.
swasthi says
Welcome Sri
Glad the recipes are helpful!