Vendaikkai gotsu / Bhindi Gotsu

Ingredients:

Vendaikkai : 150 -200 gms (cut into 2"pieces)
Onion :1 (finely chopped)
Tamarind juice : 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
Jaggery : 1-2 tsp (powdered & optional)
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Urad dal : 1 tsp
Oil
Salt
Roast & Grind

Dhaniya/coriander seeds : 2 tsp
Jeera/cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Pepper : 1/2 tsp

Method:

Dry roast all the roast & grind ingredients in a kadai and grind it into fine powder.
Heat oil in a kadai, then add mustard seeds and urad dal.
Once the mustard seeds starts spluttering, then add onion and saute for a min.
once the onions become transparent, then add the ladys finger/vendaikkai and saute well.
When the lady's finger is half cooked, then add tamarind juice into it.
Also add turmeric powder and jaggery powder into it and mix it well.
Then add salt & grinded powder into it and mix gently.
And finally garnish with coriander and serve it hot.

This gotsu goes well with Rice...

Ven Pongal / Kara Pongal

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup
Moong dal/Green gram dal(split & unskinned) - 1/2 cup
Ghee and Oil - 2 to 3 teaspoons
Cashew nuts - 10 -12
Ginger : 1" piece (finely chopped & optional)
Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoon
Peppercorns - 1 ½ teaspoon (crushed)
Curry leaves
Salt - to taste

Method:

Heat very little ghee in a pan. Add split green gram dal and fry till it turns into light brown. Remove from heat and keep it aside.
Wash rice and roasted dal in water.
Cook Rice and dal together with salt in a pressure cooker.
PS: Add 3 ½ to 4 cups of water to cook in pressure cooker.
Heat ghee in a pan and then add cashew nuts and fry till it turns into light brown. Then add cumin seeds, ginger, peppercorns, hing and curry leaves and saute for 1 or 2 minutes.
Pour this seasoning into the cooked pongal and mix gently.

Serve it hot with coconut chutney and/or sambar.