Okra Theeyal

It is one of the popular and authentic dish in Kerala. Why this dish is very famous??? Have you ever think about that!!! I have roasted all the ingredients for masala and added the ground paste in to this kuzhambu.

The taste is really delicious. This called theeyal, theeyal means ‘burnt dish’ as the coconut is roasted till it gets brown or slightly burnt. 

This can be also made with shrimp, eggplant, drumstick etc.

Ingredients

Chopped Okra Pieces – 200g

Tamarind – small sized ball

Salt to taste

To sauté and Grind

Grated Coconut – ½ cup

Dry Red Chilli – 5

Coriander Seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds – 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp

To Temper

Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

Red Chilli – 2

Chopped Onions – 4 tsp

Salt to taste

Curry Leaves – few

Oil – 2 tsp

Method:

Wash the okra and wipe it with clean cloth or paper towel. Cut it into 2 inch long pieces.

Soak tamarind in little water and squeeze out the juice. Add sufficient water and make 2 cups of tamarind water.

In a dry kadai, add coriander seeds and fry for a min. Then add cumin, fenugreek and red chillies and fry for few seconds. Add coconut gratings and fry till it become light brown. Add turmeric powder and stir it well. Remove and cool it. Grind it to a fine paste.

In a vessel, add oil and add okra pieces along with a pinch of salt. Stir fry till light brown spots appear on the okra. Add ground paste and mix it well.

Add tamarind water and salt. Stir it well and allow boiling on medium flame.

In a small pan, add oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it starts crackling add chopped onion, red chillies and curry leaves.

 Fry for few seconds and add this tempering to the boiling kuzhambu and switch off the flame.

Serve with hot rice or with any stir fry/ varuval/ papad/chips…

(Another Method)

You can also use red chilli/coriander/cumin powders instead of whole spices.

In that method; you need to add grated coconuts in a kadai and dry fry till it become light brown.

Then add red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and teaspoon turmeric powder and fry everything together for few more seconds. Cool it and grind it to a fine paste.