Heerekayi Bajji/ Sambandha (Chinese Okra chutney)

      

Did you expect to see some kinda pakoras or deep fried savories here, when you heard the name "Bajji"??!?! :) Sorry to have disappointed you, but this Bajji is more like a chutney or a thick coconut based curry that is served as a side dish with hot steamed rice, dosas, idlis or even rotis.

This traditional Brahmin dish is called "Bajji" in the Mysore-Bangalore and Sirsi-Sagar regions of Karnataka and "Sambandha ( or Sammandha)" is what it is known as, in the Mangalore-Udupi regions!! The speciality of this kind of chutney is that it can be re-heated and boiled without much of a change in its taste.

While I have used Chinese Okra ( Heerekai, in Kannada) here, you could also use methi leaves, snake gourd, beetroot, carrots etc.

Ingredients:

1 cup Chinese Okra/Heerekayi, chopped into 1" chunks

2 tsp Til/Ellu/Sesame seeds (I use the white ones)

1/2 cup Grated coconut, fresh/frozen

4-5 Dry Red Chilies, low spiced

1 tsp Urad Dal (Optional)

1/4 tsp Tamarind paste

1/2 tsp Jaggery

2 tsp Oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 Curry leaves

A pinch of Hing

Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Cook the Veggie chunks with some salt and water until done.
2. Dry roast the sesame seeds, red chilies and the urad dal until they turn golden brown in color.
3. Grind the roasted masalas with coconut, tamarind, salt and jaggery to a smooth paste; Add the cooked veggie and pulse a couple of times until well blended.
4. Temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves; Serve with steamed rice (and a spoon of ghee or coconut oil), dosas, idlis, or even rotis.

Prep Time: About 15-20 mins;

Serves: About 2 people;

Variation:

• Instead of adding tamarind, you could add some beaten yogurt, for the tanginess, and make a gravy out of the dish; Serve with hot steamed rice.
• You could also use green chilies instead of dry red chilies to get a slightly different flavor and color.