Stuffed Vendakkai (Okra)

             It was off and on rainy/cloudy with a chance of fried food yesterday. When it rains outside, I crave for fried food. I didn't want the added calories and the conscience attack later. After a struggle in my mind whether to cook onion pakodas , bajjis and other sinful snacks. I came to a compromise, while hating my conscience that I would make a yummy roast vegetable with much less oil than deep fried. I didn't want an elobarate recipe too. I made up my mind on stuffed vendakkai  in a jiffy. My shortcut recipe was to use curry podi that I use for making roast veggies like potato, plaintains, colacasia (chepankizhangu) etc.

Curry podi / powder-

Ingredients:
kadala paruppu / chana dal 1 cup
ulutham paruppu  / urad dal  3/4 cup
red chillies    1 cup
dhaniya /coriander seeds  1 1/2 cups
tamarind gumball sized
asafoetida  2 tsps
salt to taste
oil to roast

Method
1.  Dry roast the dhaniya, kadala paruppu and ulutham paruppu.
2. heat a little oil and roast the red chillies.
3. Powder fine or coarse for texture all ingredients together in a mixer grinder. Add  only a little salt. When using the powder you can adjust the salt according to taste.
4. Let cool and store in an air-tight container in a dry place.

 This podi can be stored at room temperature for up to a month. Use it in almost all poriyals, kootu, roasts etc. It smells heavenly.

Stuffed Vendakkai

Ingredients:

Vendakkai / okra   12
curry podi 2 tsps
sambar powder 1 tsp
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
kadala maavu / besan flour  2 tbsps
salt to taste
Oil 3 tsps

Method:

1.Wash the vendakkai and dry it with a paper towel.
2. Cut the vendakkai lengthwise but not fully, just slit enough to hold some stuffing. Do not split it in half.
3. Mix all the powders mentioned in the ingredients .Using a spoon, stuff the dry mix in the vendakkai and set aside.
4. When every vendakkai is stuffed, heat oil in a wide mouthed saute pan.
5. When the oil is hot carefully place each vendakkai stuffing side down. Be very careful oil may splatter.
6. Let the stuffing side get seared (get a crisp golden brown coating). Sprinkle any leftover stuffing over and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to sim to medium and let steam cook for about 2 mins.
7. Remove lid, with a spatula or spoon turn the vendaikkai over gently to cook the other side. Put the lid on let cook 3 mins.
8. Now, remove lid and gently stir, taste for salt and add salt if required. Let cook till no moisture is left and take off heat.

Serve with hot steamy rice or chapatis. Susvaad.

365 Days of decluttering
 I have arrived at the conclusion that I am a self defeating perfectionist, when it comes to clutter. I either have to clean out everything until it is spotless or I don't do it at all. No wonder I am a clutter magnet. My wish is to break the habit and to get to a place where I can do a just enough job of clearing out junk, instead of minutely managing every shred of paper or thing that I pick. Easier said than done, It is a hard lesson to learn for a person like me.