Vendakka/okra Kichadi and Mambazham/Mango Pachadi

As the festival Vishu is fast approaching, here are two easy dishes that can easily fit into your sadhya menu: Kichadi and pachadi. Both these dishes have regional variations like any other sadhya curries. Here is how we make em' both in our home.These are yogurt based curries and the main differences are 1) pachadi is more like a sweeter version of kichadi, and are  generally made with fruits (like pineapple, grapes, mango etc) 2) In kichadi crushed mustard seeds are added at the end where as in pachadi mustard seeds are used only for tempering.

VENDAKKA/OKRA KICHADI

Vendakka/Okra ¼ kg, cut to thin rounds
Grated coconut ½ cup
Cumin seeds ¼ tsp
Green chilly 2 nos
Mustard seeds ¼ tsp + ½ tsp
Curd/yogurt 1 cup, beaten
Dry red chilly 2 nos
Salt as needed
Coconut oil 1 tsp + more for frying
Curry leaves

Preparation

Wash and pat dry the Vendakka/okra. Cut them into thin rounds and deep fry the same until brown. Drain excess oil and set aside.

Grind together, grated coconut, green chilly and cumin seeds into a fine paste with little water added. Mix this paste with curd/ yogurt and set aside.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and splutter ½ tsp mustard seeds followed by adding dry red chilly and curry leaves. Reduce flame to low and add the yogurt-coconut mixture. Mix well to combine and adjust salt. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the ¼ tsp mustard seeds and add to the pan. Mix well and add the fried Vendakka/okra. Switch off flame and enjoy with rice.

MAMBAZHAM/MANGO PACHADI

Ripe mango 1 no, peeled and cut to chunks
Jaggery a small piece
Grated coconut ¼ cup
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Red chilly powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder ¼ tsp (alternately you can use ¼ tsp cumin seeds too)
Yogurt 2 TBSP
Salt as needed
Coconut oil 1 tsp
Mustard seeds ¼ tsp
Dry red chilly 2 nos
Curry leaves

Preparation

In a pan add the cut mango along with turmeric powder, red chilly powder, cumin powder, jaggery and salt. Add ½ cup water and cook till the mango pieces are mashed well and almost 90% of the water is evaporated. Meanwhile grind together grated coconut and yogurt and cumin seeds, if you are using the same instead of cumin powder into a smooth paste. Add this to the pan and adjust salt. MIX WELL and switch off flame.

In another pan, heat 1 tsp oil and splutter mustard seeds and dry red chilly. Switch off flame and add curry leaves, pour over the pachadi. Serve hot with rice..

Cheers!!!
Suji