Gojju is a vegetable dish cooked in tamarind juice, jaggery and green masala paste. It is prepared usually with bitter gourd which is more popular and the dish is very similar to ‘Kerala Ulli Kari’, here Lady’s finger is used instead of bitter gourd. This traditional Kannada curry with a tangy, spicy and sweet taste accompanies well a bowl of steamed white rice. There are some people who do not prefer the slimmy texture of the lady’s finger, in such case, brinjals/egg plant, pumpkin, types of gourds or even onions(chopped in large pieces) can be used to prepare this recipe.
Ingredients:
- Lady’s finger (Bendekaayi) – 1/2kg
- Tamarind – marble sized
- Jaggery – a small piece(just enough to sprinkle over)
- Few curry leaves(optional)
- Salt – to taste
- Oil
For dry powder:
- Fenugreek seeds – 2tsp
- Cumin seeds – 2tsp
- Sesame seeds- 1tsp(optional)
- Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
For wet masala paste:
- Grated coconut – two handfuls(can use dessicated or fresh coconut)
- Green chillies – 4-6nos(reduce according to spice required)
- Mustard seeds – 1tsp
- Coriander leaves – few strands
- Rice (raw) – 1tsp
- Turmeric powder – just a pinch
For seasoning:
- Mustard seeds
- Red chillies
Method:
- Fry fenugreek, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and sesame seeds, until fenugreek turns brown. Allow to cool and grind to a powder.
- Wet grind – grated coconut, green chillies, mustard seeds, coriander leaves, rice and turmeric powder along with the above ground powder with sufficient water.
- Wipe lady’s finger in a wet towel and cut them into 1″ long pieces. Heat oil and fry lady’s finger on a low flame till they are well cooked. Add oil if needed while frying.
- Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and extract the juice. Pour the tamarind juice in onto the cooked lady’s finger. Allow it to soak and boil for 5 minutes.
- Put in the ground mixture, salt, jaggery and mix well. Add curry leaves and allow the mixture to cook on low fire, till it becomes a semi thick liquid (I preferred it as a semi-dry dish, so kept it on flame till water evaporated).
- Season mustard and red chillies and add it to the Bendekaayi gojju.
- Serve hot with rice or rotis.
Preparation Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4-6