• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Cooking Curries logo

  • Home
  • About
    • Work with me
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
Home » Recipes » Diet » Gluten Free » Vendakka Kichadi ~ Fried Okra in a Coconut Yogurt Sauce

Vendakka Kichadi ~ Fried Okra in a Coconut Yogurt Sauce

Published: Feb 7, 2016 · Modified: Apr 5, 2018 by Manju · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

3shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Yummly
  • Flipboard
  • Mix
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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

Vendakka Kichadi - Fried Okra in a Coconut Yogurt Sauce Base - Indian Food, Kerala Sadya Recipe, Vishu Sadya, ONam Sadya - Mirch Masala

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 - Fried Okra in a Coconut Yogurt Sauce Base - Indian Food, Kerala Sadya Recipe, Vishu Sadya, ONam Sadya - Mirch Masala

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
  • ½ 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
Print Pin Rate
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
  • ½ 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
Tried this recipe?Mention @Cookingcurries or tag #cookingcurries on social media. We would love to take a look and share!

 

3shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Yummly
  • Flipboard
  • Mix
Previous Post: « 2 Minute Smoked Salmon Dip with Dill and Capers
Next Post: Dal Fry ~ Spiced Pigeon Pea Lentils Stew »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Uma Srinivas says

    February 12, 2016 at 4:09 pm

    Love your recipe. I do this in different style. Love to try yours 🙂

    Reply
    • Manju says

      February 12, 2016 at 5:04 pm

      Thank you! I would love to hear how you make this!

      Reply
  2. Eva Scarlett says

    February 28, 2016 at 5:45 am

    5 stars
    Wow! This recipe looks very delicious to me. I must try it today at my home. Thanks for sharing this with us.

    Reply
    • Manju says

      March 03, 2016 at 6:20 pm

      Sure! Thank you!

      Reply
  3. Mona Patel says

    April 16, 2016 at 11:36 pm

    Light and flavorful! Love to eat this with rice and sambar.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hello and welcome to Cooking Curries - a place where you can learn how to make everything in the kitchen that is easy, fresh, healthy and most of all, real good food! Pick up a cup of chai and lets take on an adventure with the spices and be eased into a lot of regional Indian cuisine and some of my family's favorite everyday recipes. Follow #LittlePeopleFoodByCC #TravelEatsByCC and #SeattleEatsByCC on social media! Read More…

Recipe Key

    Looking for something on Cooking Curries? Search here

    Follow Me on Social Media!

    Dont Miss it!

    Subscribe to get all the deliciousness sent straight to your inbox

    Diwali Recipes

    Aval Laddoo / Poha Laddoo with Coconut ~ Beaten Rice and Coconut Balls

    Okkarai – Roasted Chana Dal with Jaggery and Coconut

    Kara Sev – Fried Spiced Chickpea Flour Sticks

    Maaladdu / Maladu / Pottukadalai Ladoo – Roasted Gram Dal Balls

    Roasted cashews in a glass jar

    Spicy Masala Roasted Cashews

    Coconut Khoya Laddoo

    More Diwali Recipes

    Fall Recipes

    Apple Cinnamon Pancakes with Cardamom Spiced Honey Apple Compote

    Couscous Risotto with Butternut Squash and Carrots

    Couscous Risotto with Butternut Squash and Carrots

    Spicy-and-Creamy-Pumpkin-Linguine-A-Fall-Recipe-www.cookingcurries.com

    Spicy and Creamy Pumpkin Linguine

    Turkey chili in a white bowl topped with cheese and jalapenos

    Instant Pot Masala Turkey Chili

    Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding with Pecan Crumble - Pumpkin Recipe - Fall Recipes - CookingCurries

    Pumpkin Pie Chia Pudding with Pecan Crumble

    Panera Bread Copycat Version - Broccoli Cheddar Soup made in the Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    More Fall Recipes

    Recent Posts

    Idli batter in a pot with a ladle in it

    Homemade Idli Dosa Batter Guide

    Masala idli fry in a white bowl

    Idli Masala Fry

    Thai sweet potato curry and white rice in a bowl with a gold fork

    Thai Sweet Potato and Spinach Curry

    tater tots chaat on a white platter

    Tater Tots Chaat

    croissant casserole bake in a baking pan

    Christmas Morning Breakfasts

    okra curry in a grey bowl

    Vendakka Mappas – Okra Curry with Coconut Milk

    Copyrights

    © Manju Mahadevan and Cooking Curries, 2019. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, but never the full recipe or post, provided that full and clear credit is given to Manju Mahadevan and Cooking Curries with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

    Cooking Curries has been featured on prominent sites such as The Huffington Post, Woman's Day, Fox News, BuzzFeed, and many more.

    Footer


    Cooking Curries

    Don’t Miss Out!

    Subscribe Now

    Affiliate Program Disclaimer

    Cooking Curries is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
    • Recipes by Cooking Method
    • Recipes by Course
    • Recipes by Cuisine
    • Recipes by Diet
    • Recipes by Season
    • Recipes by Holiday

    Copyright © 2021 Cooking Curries · Privacy Policy