Bendakaya Pachadi, or Bhindi Chutney, is a traditional South Indian chutney made with well-cooked fresh okra. This flavorful dish combines sautéed okra with a blend of spices, tamarind, and seasonings to create a rich, tangy condiment.
This okra pachadi is known for its unique combination of textures and tastes, making it an interesting addition to meals in Indian cuisine. Bendakaya Roti Pachadi is a flavorful and perfect blend of tangy, spicy, and savoury flavours, making it a delightful addition to your South Indian meal.
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What is Bendakaya Pachadi?
Bendakaya Pachadi recipe, or Vendakkai Pachadi, is a popular dish from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is a chutney or relish made using fresh okra as the primary ingredient. The okra is perfectly sautéed and combined with a blend of onion, tomato, South Indian spices, tamarind, and other seasonings to create a rich, thick, flavorful pachadi.
Andhra Cuisine is known for its spicy and bold flavours. True to its origin, this Vendakkai Chutney is bright in colour, with a mildly spicy taste and flavours that overpower your meal.
South Indian Cuisine is popular for its chutneys and thogayal recipes. We make a thogayal out of almost any vegetable. We also use vegetable peels, seeds, etc., to make different, easy and tasty thogayal recipes. This bendakkaya pachadi is one such unique South Indian recipe. The first time I heard about it, I was so reluctant to try it. The first time I tasted this thogayal, I fell in love. From then on, I prepare this recipe quite often.
Making chutney with vendakkai is something new that not many people do. Most people I know do not enjoy eating okras because of their slimy texture. But, if you cook the okra well, the texture comes out very well. Okra is easily one of my favourite vegetables.
For this particular okra chutney recipe, we saute the okra in oil and ensure they are cooked well before adding them to the blender to make the pachadi. The result is so delicious. There is a slight hint of sweetness from the vendakkai, tanginess from tamarind and a hint of spice. When you mix this lady’s finger chutney with rice and eat it, you can hardly feel the sticky texture of the okra.
Why you’ll love this Vendakkai Pachadi Recipe
The recipe is straightforward and can be prepared with minimal effort
The level of spiciness and tanginess can be adjusted according to individual preferences
This bendakaya chutney is a very unique and interesting recipe for okra lovers
Vendakka pachadi can be enjoyed with a variety of dishes such as rice, chapati, dosa, idli, or even used as a flavorful spread in sandwiches or wraps
How to make Bendakaya Pachadi
Thinly slice the vendakkai/okra and keep them ready.
To a pan, add oil and heat it. Once hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, red chillies, and chana dal.
Roast on a low flame till the spices turn golden brown and are aromatic.
Add garlic cloves and a small tamarind piece and saute them with the spices.
Next, add finely chopped onion and cook it well. Add finely chopped tomatoes, a few curry leaves, and coriander leaves, and cook them together until the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
Transfer to a mixie jar, add salt and let the mixture cool down.
Add oil to the same pan. Once hot, add thinly sliced vendakkai / okras, salt, and turmeric powder. Saute until well cooked.
While the okras cook, grind the ingredients in the mixer jar to a coarse paste.
Once the okras are well cooked, add them to the mixie jar and grind again. You can keep the mixture completely smooth or leave it a bit coarse to feel the texture of okra pieces. Transfer to a bowl.
Now, let’s make the tempering. Add oil to a pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, red chilli, and curry leaves. Once the mustard splutters and dals turn golden brown, transfer the tempering to the bowl of Andhra style bendakaya pachadi.
Delicious Bhindi Chutney is ready to be served with rice, idli or dosa.
Tips & Suggestions
Use fresh and tender okra for the best results.
Adjust the quantity of red chillies according to your spice preference.
Ensure that the okra is cooked thoroughly to achieve the perfect texture.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the okra pachadi as a side dish with steamed rice or pulao.
You can mix it with rice along with a dollop of ghee or sesame oil, and serve it with a side of papad or potato fry. Tastes amazing.
You can also serve this vendakkai chutney as a condiment with dosa or idli.
Use as a spread in sandwiches or wraps for a unique twist.
Frequently asked questions
While fresh okra is preferred for the best flavour and texture, you can use frozen okra if fresh okra is not available. However, ensure that the frozen okra is thoroughly thawed and excess moisture is removed before using it in the recipe.
The level of spiciness can be adjusted according to individual preferences. To control the spice level, you can increase or decrease the quantity of red chilies.
When stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, Bendakaya Pachadi can be kept fresh for up to 3-4 days.
Other recipes you may like
If you love okra , try my Vendakkai Rice, Okra Raita, Bhindi Masala , Air Fryer Okra Recipes.
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Recipe Card
Bendakaya Pachadi with Fresh Okras
Ingredients
- ¼ Kg Okra / Vendakkai thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
- 2 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Chana Dal
- 6 Red Chillies
- 6 Garlic Cloves
- Tamarind a small piece
- 1 medium Onion Finely Chopped
- 1 small Tomato
- Salt as needed
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Coriander Leaves a handful
- Curry Leaves few
For tempering
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Urad Dal
- 1 teaspoon Chana Dal
- 1 Red Chilli
- Curry Leaves few
Instructions
- To a pan, add oil and heat it. Once hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, red chillies, chana dal. Roast on a low flame till the spices turn golden brown and are aromatic.
- Add the garlic cloves, a small piece of tamarind and saute them along with the spices.
- Next, add finely chopped onion and cook them well. Add finely chopped tomatoes, a few curry leaves, and coriander leaves and cook them together until tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
- Transfer to a mixie jar, add required amount of salt and let the mixture cool down.
- Add oil to the same pan. Once hot, add thinly sliced vendakkai / okras, little salt and turmeric powder. Saute until they are well cooked.
- While the okras cook, grind the ingredients in the mixer jar to a coarse paste.
- Once the okras are well cooked, add them to the mixie jar and grind again. You can keep the mixture completely smooth or leave it a bit coarse to feel the texture of okra pieces. Transfer the okra chutney to a bowl.
- Now, let's make the tempering. Add oil to a pan. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, red chilli, and curry leaves.
- Once the mustard splutters and dals turn golden brown, transfer the tempering to the bowl of bendakaya pachadi.
- Delicious Bhindi Chutney is ready to be served with rice, idli or dosa.