Bendakaya Perugu Pachadi / Andhra Style Okra Raita

Today's recipe is a perugu pachadi made with bendakaya / okra. A perugu pachadi is a spicy raita, Andhra style. It is not made with fresh yogurt as the north Indian, chilled and creamy raitas. It is made with sour yogurt and usually contains a cooked vegetable added to it. The other common vegetables used in the preparation are eggplants / snake gourd. A perugu pachadi is usually eaten as a dip to go with rice and mudda pappu, cooked lentils just seasoned with salt. Or as  a side dish to go with rice.

Ingredients for tempering:
1 tsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds (optional)
1 pinch of asafoetida powder
Few curry leaves
A pinch of turmeric powder
Ingredients for pachadi / raita:
1 tbsp. oil
10 to 15 okra / lady fingers
1- 2 spicy chilis + 1/2 tsp ginger roughly crushed
2 cups sour yogurt
Salt to taste
Minced cilantro to garnish

Directions:
* Heat a tsp. oil and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric. Stir them once and turn off the stove. Keep it aside.

* Rinse and wipe dry the okras. Trim the edges and chop them thin, crosswise.

* Heat a tbsp. oil in a wide pan and add the okra pieces. Toast them on low medium flame until the pieces are cooked. (I toasted them in an air fryer instead.)
* Grind the chili and ginger finely adding a little yogurt if needed.
* Whisk yogurt, green chili - ginger paste and salt together in a bowl and add the cooked / toasted okra pieces. Add the tempering and minced cilantro. Mix well and serve.

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