Vendakka-Thengapaal Curry: The Creamy Recipe You’ll Crave

Yes. This recipe specifically uses grated coconut. From one and a half cups of grated coconut, extract half a cup of first milk and three-quarters of a cup of second milk. The okra is cooked first in second milk and then finished with first milk.

First milk is the richer, thicker coconut milk extracted first from grated coconut. Second milk is lighter and used for cooking the okra. In this curry, the second milk goes into the pan first, while the first milk is added near the end for thickness and flavor.

Cut and remove the stems of the tender okra. Place the okra in a pan with the second coconut milk and the third ingredient mixture, then cover and cook. Once cooked, add the first milk, stir, and reduce until thick.

First coconut milk should be added after the okra has cooked in the second milk. The recipe finishes by adding the first milk, stirring, and removing the curry from the heat once it has reduced to a thick consistency.

The curry uses green chillies slit lengthwise, crushed black pepper, salt and curry leaves. These ingredients keep the flavor clean and aromatic while allowing the coconut milk and tender okra to remain the main focus of the dish.

This curry is meant to finish thick. After adding the first coconut milk, stir the curry and remove it from the heat when it has reduced to a thick consistency. That final reduction gives the dish its creamy coconut body.