Okra Peanut Curry | Vendakkai Verkadalai Poriyal

square image of okra peanut curry served in white bowl

5 from 1 vote

Okra Peanut Curry | Vendakkai Verkadalai Poriyal

A flavorful South Indian-style okra curry infused with the richness of shallots and coconut, complemented by the crunch of peanuts! It pairs perfectly with any rice dish, and you can learn to make it with detailed step-by-step pictures.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: sides

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Okra Peanut Curry

Servings:

Calories: 145kcal

Author: Srividhya G

Ingredients

Measurement Details: 1 cup= 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp= 5ml;

1 tbsp oil neutral or peanut
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
¼ cup peanuts
⅛ tsp asafoetida
5 shallots finely chopped
45 to 50 okra approx ½ kg
2 tsp sambar powder
1.25 tsp salt or to taste
1 tbsp yogurt
2 tsp coconut oil optional
¼ cup unsweetened coconut dry or fresh or frozen

Instructions

Heat one tablespoon of oil in a cast iron or heavy-bottomed frying pan. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves, asafoetida, and peanuts. Roast until the peanuts, urad dal, and chana dal turns light golden.
Next, add the chopped shallots or onions and sauté until they become soft and translucent.
Now, add the chopped okra, sambar powder, and salt. Stir well to coat the okra with the spices, then cook uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat, stirring every couple of minutes.
After 5 minutes, the okra will become gooey. At this stage, add the yogurt. Initially, this will make the okra stickier, but as it cooks, the stickiness will gradually reduce. Continue cooking for another 5 to 6 minutes until the stickiness disappears.
Add two more teaspoons of oil and cook for a few minutes over medium heat, or let the okra roast on low heat for about 5 minutes until a crust forms.
Finally, mix in the coconut and cook for a minute before turning off the heat. Your okra curry is ready! That's it. Okra curry is ready.

Notes

You can substitute shallots with about ¼ cup of regular chopped onion.
The quantity of peanuts and coconut is flexible—add them according to your preference. Both are optional. I used dry, unsweetened coconut, but fresh or frozen coconut can also be used.
Yogurt helps remove the stickiness from the okra, but you can also use besan (gram flour) or fine sooji (semolina) as alternatives.
For a crispy texture, allow the okra to form a brown crust by cooking over low heat for 5 to 6 minutes before adding the coconut.
Adjust the salt and spice levels to your taste.
Instead of sambar powder, you can use red chili powder, paprika, or kuzhambu masala for seasoning.

Nutrition