Amma’s Vendakkai Thoran / Ladysfinger (Okra) Cooked in a Spicy Dry Coconut Masala

This is what amma makes on most of the days, the one variation is she changes the vegetables. She makes it with carrot or beans or beetroots. But thoran gets a place on the menu most of the week. I can easily eat beetroot thoran, but the one thing i hated is this ladysfinger thoran. But as a adult i love it. The key stuff in this thoran is you should chop up the veggie pretty finely, so it gets cooked faster and turns into good texture. 

So give this a try and let me know what you think.

Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves – 2 to 3

Ingredients:

Ladysfinger / Okra / Vendaikai – 15 chopped finely
Shallots / Sambar Onion – 5 chopped finely
Salt to taste

For Coconut Masala:
Coconut – 1/2 cup
Red Chilli – 1 or 2
Garlic – 2
Turmeric powder / Manjal podi – 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam – 1 tsp

For Seasoning:
Oil – 2 tblspn
Mustard Seeds / Kaduku – 1 tsp
Urad dal / Ulundu paruppu – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 spring

Method:

Grind the ingredients given in the masala list to a little coarse paste without adding any water. Set this aside till use.

Heat oil in a kadai. Add the seasoning ingredients and saute for a min.

Add in shallots and okra and saute it for 5 mins.

Now add in some salt and give a good toss. Fry the whole thing for 8 to 10 mins so that the okra gets rid of its sliminess.

Now add in the ground masala and toss well. 

Fry this for 5 more mins so the masala gets cooked. Thoran is done.

Serve with rice.
 

Pictorial:

Chop ladysfinger and shallots very finely

Take grinding masala in a blender

And make into a coarse paste

Heat oil and add in seasoning spices

Add in shallots and ladysfinger

Saute them for 5 mins

Sprinkle in some salt

And saute them for 8 to10 more mins

Till the okra is cooked and there is no slimyness

Add in the coconut paste

Saute for a while

So the masala gets stuck with the okra

Serve

Taste great with rice