Bendakaya Pulusu

Andhra Bendakaya Pulusu is okra cooked in spicy tamarind gravy. It is served with rice, ghee and plain dal known as mudda pappu.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips.

Prep Time15 minutes

Cook Time20 minutes

Total Time35 minutes

Servings4

Rinse and soak tamarind in ½ cup hot water. Once cool, squeeze up and filter to remove the pulp.
Chop onions set aside.
Rinse ladies finger under running water. Wipe them dry with a clean kitchen cloth.
Chop them to 1 inch sized pieces. You can use a kitchen tissue in between to wipe off the sticky part from the knife.
Chop tomatoes and set aside.

Heat a pan with oil, add mustard and menthulu. When they begin to crackle, add curry leaves and fry till they turn crisp.
Add onions and green chilies. You can also skip green chilies.
Fry till the onions turn transparent. You don’t need to fry till golden.
Add tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Fry till the tomatoes turn completely mushy. This is very important otherwise the pulusu doesn’t taste good.
Transfer ladies finger and potatoes. Then fry on high for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add red chili powder, coriander powder and a little more of the salt.
Mix and fry for another 2 minutes
Pour the tamarind water and then add jaggery. You can also dissolve the jaggery along with tamarind and fliter both to the pot. Mix well
Cover and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on a low flame or heat.
Pour 1 ½ to 2 cups water and cook on a low flame till the ladies finger is cooked well soft and tender. If it is too runny, evaporate the excess water by cooking further without a lid.
Taste the pulusu and add more salt, tamarind water and jaggery if needed. It should typically have different tastes like sweet, sour and hot.
Serve bendakaya pulusu with rice and plain pappu or mudda pappu.