Vendakka Kichadi ~ Fried Okra in a Coconut Yogurt Sauce

Delicately spiced coconut and yogurt sauce topped with crispy fried okra – a perfect side!

Many of you are familiar with the concept of why there is so much yogurt in Indian cuisine – whether it is from the North or South. Or, you can atleast take a pretty good guess. Yes, you guessed it right! It is to offset the spice and heat levels we use in our cooking. It was a very intentional part of a meal that later just became one of those things you do without putting much thought into it. When you set a dinner or lunch table, there was always some yogurt in it. Whether it was in the form of a raita – which is yogurt with onions or cucumbers and / or mint, cilantro etc or in the form of a yogurt sauce based curry – like in a kadhi or a pulisseri or mor kuzhambu or yogurt mixed with rice or vermicelli – yogurt rice or vermicelli rice or just plain yogurt left on the dinner table for guests to serve themselves at the end of the meal but before you get to dessert.

The raita is a concept more from the Northern parts of India, where as in the South the more common ones are the yogurt curries, mostly with some mildly spiced ground coconut added to it with one or a few vegetables. This kichadi though is made like a curry but its purpose on the plate is more like a side of a raita. The mild spiciness that plays very well with the coolness of the yogurt and that texture of a bite of fried okra along with the creamy coconut-yogurt sauce does wonders to your palate. So, the next time you make Indian food for a crowd, try this instead of the regular raita that everyone expects you to make!

Vendakka Kichadi – The Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole milk yogurt
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 Thai green chillies or Serrano chillies
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger
• Salt, to taste

For the Okra tempering:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• 3 okra, sliced into thin rounds

Method:

Grind together the yogurt, coconut, cumin seeds, chillies, ginger and salt in a food processor or Indian style mixer grinder. Pour it out into a bowl and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a small sauce pan or skillet and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and okra to it. Lower heat to medium let the okra fry till it crisps up to dark golden brown but not burnt. Pour this mixture over the yogurt mixture.

Notes / Tips:

• I use fresh grated coconut that was frozen. I thaw it and microwave for 30 secs before grinding so the oil that is separated when cold, gets mixed back in with the coconut flakes. Otherwise it forms a fatty layer.
• Pour the okra mixture to the coconut mixture and let it be. Do not mix it in till its time to serve. Otherwise the crispy okra will get all mushy. You can also pour it into a separate bowl to mix it right before you serve. But remove it from the saucepan or the skillet you fried it in or else the mustard seeds will get burnt if they sit more in the hot oil.

Vendakka Kichadi ~ Fried Okra in a Coconut Yogurt Sauce

Delicately spiced coconut and yogurt sauce topped with crispy fried okra - a perfect side!

5 from 1 vote

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Cuisine: Indian - Kerala

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Author: Manju

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole milk yogurt
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 Thai green chillies or Serrano chillies
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger
• Salt to taste
• For the Okra tempering:
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 10 curry leaves
• 3 okra sliced into thin rounds

Instructions

• Grind together the yogurt, coconut, cumin seeds, chillies, ginger and salt in a food processor or Indian style mixer grinder. Pour it out into a bowl and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a small sauce pan or skillet and add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the curry leaves and okra to it. Lower heat to medium let the okra fry till it crisps up to dark golden brown but not burnt. Pour this mixture over the yogurt mixture.

Notes

I use fresh grated coconut that was frozen. I thaw it and microwave for 30 secs before grinding so the oil that is separated when cold, gets mixed back in with the coconut flakes. Otherwise it forms a fatty layer.
Pour the okra mixture to the coconut mixture and let it be. Do not mix it in till its time to serve. Otherwise the crispy okra will get all mushy. You can also pour it into a separate bowl to mix it right before you serve. But remove it from the saucepan or the skillet you fried it in or else the mustard seeds will get burnt if they sit more in the hot oi

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