Bendakaya Pulusu

Ingredients

1/2 cup Toor Dal
1 lb okra (bendakayalu) cut
1 large onion cut
1 tomato chopped
3 mirchi/chillies cut
2 tsp grated jaggery (cane sugar, molasses)
few curry leaves
salt to taste
1 tsp garlic paste (optional)
1 teaspoon ginger paste
3 tsp of tamrind paste (or squeezed fresh from 2 lemon sized balls of ripe tamarind)
chopped corriander leaves
2 tbls Sambhar powder
For tempering
3-4 tsp of oil
1tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp jeera (cumin)
1/2tsp Mustard seeds
½ tsp turmeric
a pinch of hing

Method
Cook toor daal in a pressure cooker and keep it aside.
Heat 3-4 spoons oil in a wok and add the tempering ingredients in order and fry until seeds start popping. Add curry leaves hing and green chillies, followed by onions and fry until onions turn golden brown. Add the okra cook until tender and then the finely chopped Tomato and cook until soft. Add precooked toor dal, mix and cook until it blends well, pour about 4-5 cups water and add diluted tamarind paste, ginger and garlic paste and sambhar powder, salt and jaggery and cook for minimun 6-10 mintues until starts to boil and thickens slightly, garnish with corriander leaves and serve hot

Serving suggestions: Serve with rice, idli, vada, dosa, or as soup by itself.