Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 min
Serves: 4

Ingredients: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 1/4 kg bendekai or lady's finger
2. 1 tomato
3. Big pinch of turmeric
4. 1 tsp salt (adjust as per taste)
5. 1 tsp jaggery (adjust as per taste)
6. Small Gooseberry sized tamarind (adjust as per taste)
7. 1 tbsp oil

Ingredients for the powder: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 1 tsp chana dal or kadle bele
2. 1 tsp urad dal
3. 1 tsp coriander seeds
4. 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
5. Big pinch of methi seeds
6. Big pinch of mustard seeds
7. 4 red chillies (adjust as per your spice level)

Ingredients for tempering: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2. 1 red chilli
3. Big pinch of asafoetida
4. Few curry leaves
5. 2 tbsp oil

Instructions for making bendekai chutney:

1. To begin with, Chop the bendekai or lady finger.
2. Take all the ingredients (dals, coriander, cumin, methi, mustard and red chillies) listed under masala in a frying pan.
3. Roast the spices under low flame until dals turn brown. Once done, keep them aside.
4. In the same pan, heat the oil and add the chopped lady finger. Fry them for 2 minutes under high flame.
5. Add chopped tomato, tamarind, jaggery, salt and turmeric powder. Give it a quick mix.
6. Cover and cook until raw smell is gone. Keep stirring frequently.
7. Take roasted dals and spices in a mixie jar.
8. Grind it into a semi-fine powder.
9. Add the cooked lady finger and tomato.
10. Grind it into a coarse paste. You can add a little water if needed. Keep it aside.
11. Prepare tempering in a pan using oil, mustard, red chilli, asafoetida and curry leaves. Please note that asafoetida can be replaced with garlic.
12. Reduce the flame and add the ground Lady finger. Adjust the salt as per taste.
13. Mix and fry well for a minute.
14. Serve it with hot steaming rice.

Dear reader, We have a Kannada version of this recipe. Click here to read this recipe in Kannada.