Tamarind-flavored okra (Vendakkai puli kuzhambu)

Tamarind is an essential souring agent in the South Indian kitchen, alongside limes, raw mangoes, garcinia (kokum), and bilimbi. This sour-and-spicy pairing is a classic on the table and essential in almost every meal.

Sour is not just a flavor people love; it also carries cultural and regional significance. Ayurveda defines sour as one of the six tastes that support digestion. This ancient scientific guide to cuisine has long guided how people should eat. Sour, along with salt, is essential for preservation and pickling in South India, helping store food for lean times. In addition, tartaric acid, found in most souring agents, is antimicrobial and helps preserve cooked foods in the South's heat. Finally, specific sour dishes mark the seasons. For example, Ugadi is marked by serving raw mango pachadi, combined with jaggery, neem flowers, and chilies for a robust dish that heralds the arrival of the new year.

In this dish, the humble okra is upscaled with a tamarind curry. The soft okra is smothered in a sweet-and-spicy gravy that highlights the cuisine's complexity. I serve it as a side dish with meats; the curry's sourness cuts through the fat.

This is another Chandra Padmanabhan cookbook I adore. The recipes span India’s southern states, and each turns out beautifully. Like this one, the recipes are authentic and wonderfully flavored. This cookbook is for those who want to go beyond the ordinary and enjoy highly localized South Indian cuisine.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the Spice paste:

3-4 dried red chilies

1/2 teaspoon asafoetida

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon hulled black gram (urad dal)

1 teaspoon pigeon peas (toovar dal)

2 teaspoons split chickpeas (chana dal)

2 teaspoons rice

2 tablespoons grated fresh coconut

3-4 tablespoons water

For the Temper:

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 dried red chili

10 curry leaves

For the okra:

10 oz. baby okra, wiped and kept whole

1 tomato, finely diced

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 tablespoons jaggery powder

1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate

Salt, to taste

Method:

For the Spice paste:

Dry roast each ingredient individually until aromatic. Cool completely, then grind with the water into a fine paste. Set aside.

For the Temper:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the tempering ingredients in the order listed. Fry for 15-30 seconds. Do not let the chilies burn. Add the spice paste and fry for 10 seconds.

For the okra:

Add the okra and cook, covered, for 6 minutes, until soft. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, jaggery, tamarind, and salt. Toss the okra well in the sauce. Cover and cook for another 8-10 minutes. The Okra should be cooked through and soft by now. Fry the curry until the oil pools in small bubbles around the edges.

Serve immediately as a side with either chapattis or rice.