Tags
Beetroot, Beetroot Vadai, Chettinad Foods, chettinad mandi, chettinad recipe, chettinad vendakkai mandi, mandi, Okra Gravy, Simple vadai recipe, simple vendakkai recipe, Vadai, Vendakai Mandi, Vendakkai Mandi, vendakkai recipe
Today’s post is going to be a simple chettinad home food and both these are my favorite. Both of them are so comforting, that I can have them everyday for lunch with rice 🙂 If you are wondering what is mandi it is the water that we first wash rice before cooking it. This water is nutritious. Usually we prepare it on the day we are about to prepare Idli/Dosa batter, when you will have more rice washed water. This is a very delicious gravy.
Ingredients:
Okra/Vendakai : 15 numbers
Potato : 1 medium or 2 small
Red Pearl Onions : 20 numbers (one large onion can also be used )
Green Chili : 6 to 7
Tamarind juice : 1 tablespoon
Mandi : 2 cups ( Take 4 cups of rice and use 2 cups water mix and filter our water in a bowl this is mandi)
Salt : 1 teaspoon
To Temper:
Mustard Seeds : 1⁄2 teaspoon
Urad dal : 1⁄2 teaspoon
Curry Leaves : Few
Asafoetida : 1/8 teaspoon
Sesame Oil : 1 teaspoon
Method:
- Wash Okra and dry pat it in a clean towel. This helps in reducing the stickiness.
- Peel onion skin, they can be chopped to large pieces. Pearl onions you can use it just by slicing it to 2 pieces.
- Remove potato skin and chop to large pieces.
- Slit green chili to 2 pieces.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, Urad dal, asafoetida. When they crackle add the curry leaves.
- Next add the onions and green chili. Sauté for 2 mins.
- Next add the okra and potato. Saute these for 5 mins.
- Add the mandi now to this. Let it get cooked for 50%
- Now add the salt and let it boil for some more time. When it is almost 80% percent done in cooking both potato and okra, add the tamarind juice. After adding tamarind juice it will be ready in 5 mins.
This is usually served with rice.
Beetroot Vadai:
You might have already seen my guest post on this, Again I thought let me give this 🙂
Ingredients:
Beetroot: 1⁄2 cup grated
Onion : 1⁄2 large red onion
Toor dal : 1⁄2 cup
Channa dal : 1⁄2 cup
Fennel seeds : 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida : 1⁄4 teaspoon
Turmeric powder : 1/8 teaspoon
Salt : 1 teaspoon
Red Chili : 6 to 7
Oil : for deep frying
Method:
- Soak Toor dal and Channa dal in water for 1 hour.
- Peel the skin of beetroot and grate it fine.
- Chop onions.
- Drain water and grind these two to a coarse paste without water ( if needed add 1 teaspoon water) Don’t grind it too smooth.
- Mix fennel seeds, asafoetida, salt, red chili (broken to pieces) and the grated beetroot with the dal.
- Since beetroot has some water content, when we fry the vadai it will drink up more oil.
- So I prefer to store it in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and then prepare the vadai.
- After 1 hour, take out the vadai batter. Make small round patties and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan for frying. Make sure it is in medium hot. It should not be too hot , as well not yet heated up.
- Just to ensure, make a very small ball from the batter and throw it in the oil, it should come up immediately. This means oil is ready now for frying.
- Slowly add the patties and fry it. To know when it is done, the sound of oil should come down.
- Remove from hot and place it in paper towel to soak up extra oil. Then serve it.
We have it with rice and sambar or this is a great evening tea snack. Vendakkai mandi and beetroot vadai with rice is a great combination 🙂
Chitra Jagadish said:
I do make okra gravy but never used mandi in it- is rice starch and mandi same Malar? Sounds interesting and delicious. ….
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Malar said:
Mandi is not rice starch Chitra, just the fresh water that you use to wash the rice first time before cooking !! The thicker it is best for this dish!! I have given how to take out Mandi , try it!!! You will love this dish 🙂
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Chitra Jagadish said:
Oh never heard about it before sounds interesting, will definitely give it a try….thanx for wonderful recipe. …
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Malar said:
Pleasure is mine Chitra 🙂
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radhikasethi said:
Yum Malar. I always discard rice water but this looks interesting 🙂
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Malar said:
Yes Radhika, this water gives a great taste 🙂
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Charanya said:
I dont like okra 😐 Way too slimy for me. Can I use any other vege?
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Malar said:
Charu, try with broken beans we call it mochai kottai in Tamil , just pressure cool mochai ( either fresh or stored ones would be fine ) for 1 whistle and add it instead of okra !! That as well is awesome in taste 🙂
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Charanya said:
I got a frozen bag today. Do I have to pressure cook them even if it is frozen 🙂 ? Thanks
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Malar said:
Frozen, not required to pressure cook, just saute as we do normal Charu…Let me know how it worked for you 🙂
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srividhya said:
Comfort food 🙂 me too love mandi.
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Malar said:
Very much Sri!!! 🙂
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tastefortongue said:
Looks super delicious 🙂 Your Okra gravy is in my cooking list now..
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Malar said:
Let me know, how it turns Deepika 🙂
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Traditionally Modern Food said:
Sambar and vadai I can also eat everyday Malar. Ever since you told about Mandi sambar I wanted to try but somehow keep forgetting… Will try soon. I am not going to tel anything about vadai, you know what I wil tell;-)
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Malar said:
Hehehe, vadai is always the best 🙂 give Mandi a try Vidya 🙂
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acbistro said:
very interesting,Malar !!! I am going to try Mandi soon 🙂
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Malar said:
Sure Andy do try and let me know!!! 🙂
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apsara said:
Yummy vadais! Mandi is a new word to me. Very interesting that you add rice washing to it.
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Malar said:
Thanks Apsara 🙂 yeah Mandi is lesser known 🙂
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coconutcraze said:
I think the concept of using rice water is to gain the nutrition from the bran which is normally washed away. I have heard of it but never tried it. Anyways, I have soaked dhals to try beetroot vada right away!
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Malar said:
Let me know how it turns out with vada 🙂 Do give a try with rice water as well, it is just so yummy!!
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