//Okra Crushed Kootu//
Ingredients:
- Vendakkai/ okra – 2 cups (thinly sliced)
- Moong dhal – 1/3 cup
- Water – as req
- Salt – to taste
- Cold pressed coconut oil – 1 tblsp
- Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Idicha Masala:
- Fresh Turmeric – 2 inch
- Green chili – 2-3 (depends on spice level)
- Whole black peppercorns – ½ tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Procedure:
- Wash the moong dhal and keep aside
- In a pressure cooker, add the washed moong dhal and thinly sliced okra with required amount of water.
- Pressure cook it for about 2-3 whistles or until it turns mushy. Allow it to release the pressure by its own.
- Meanwhile, in a mortar pestle add the “Idicha Masala” ingredients and crush (“Idithal”) it coarsely (as shown in the pic)
- Heat the cold pressed coconut oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and allow it to splutter by the time add the crushed (idicha) masala into the oil and sauté it for a while.
- Now pour the tempered mixture into the okra-dhal mixture, add salt and cook it for about 2-3 mins under low flame and turn off the flame.
- The slimy, SUPER tasty and spicy “VENDAKKAI IDICHA KOOTU” is ready to serve.
- Serve with hot rice/ chapathi or it goes excellent with a scoop of boiled MILLET.
TIPS/NOTE:
- Thinly slicing is one of the important note, else it will not marry well with the masala.
- If you are not able to get “fresh turmeric” use ½ tsp of turmeric powder into the dhal mixture.
- The “IDICHA Masala” is the main key to this dish. If you don’t find any mortar pestle, you can pulse it in the blender/mixer.
