Lady's Finger/Okra/Bendakaya Gojju


I have started using my 1 litre prestige pressure cooker for everything these days including making ragi mudda. Reduces the cooking time and the need for stirring. The okra cooked perfectly in the cooker without any hint of gooey that it is associated with.  The gravy is made from peanuts chutney powder, sesame and poppy seed (gasagasalu in telugu). We had it with chapathi yesterday and tastes equally good with hot rice.



Ingredients:
  1. Okra -250 grams - cut into 1 inch pieces
  2. Tomatoes  - 2
  3. Peanut chutney powder - 3 tbsp
  4. sesame seed - 1 tbsp
  5. poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
  6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
  7. Oil - 1tbsp

Method:
  1. Toast the poppy seeds and sesame seeds in low heat until they are just heated thru. Less is more here, as the seeds turn bitter if they are roasted more.
  2. Heat the pressure cooker, add oil and the rai/jeera tada.
  3. Add the okra pieces, stir them to coat with oil. Cover loosely with the lid.
  4. Grind the peanut chutney powder, sesame and poppy seeds with water into a thick paste.
  5. Okra pieces are still bright green at this point. Add the paste, 2 cups of water, diced tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt.
  6. Lock the pressure cooker and cook on high heat for 1 whistle.
  7. Once the pressure is gone, open the cooker, stir and serve.
Notes
  1. I add whole green chillies during cooking. The chillies are served to the adults who want more spice and the kids get to eat the blander dish.
  2. The tang of the peanut chutney powder and tomatoes makes the dish tangy enough. If required more tamarind juice can be added.
  3. The okra was fresh and was perfectly cooked in one whistle without turning it into a mush. And there was absolutely no gummy-ness to the okra.

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