Heerekayi sippe chutney / Chinese okra peel chutney

My mother, who is a very frugal lady would never make chutney with the skin of this vegetable heerekayi or chinese okra. I have seen other people making it, but my mother's theory is it is waste of time. My in-laws's house has different rules though. They never throw anything that can be used in some other way. I ate this chutney in my SIL's place and I was skeptical to even try it. But, I did love this and it gives a nice change from the traditional coconut chutney. I was making dal or tovve with this vegetable and made the chutney. I did not follow any recipe, so it might not be the traditional way of making it.  Here goes the recipe..

Ingredients:

1. Peel from one big chinese okra / heerekayi in kannada.
2. Oil - 2 TBSP
3. Mustard - 1/2 tsp
4. Green chillies - 8 or more depending on your taste.
5. Salt - to taste
6. Hing - a big pinch
7. Turmeric - a pinch
8. Chana dal or bengal gram dal (kadale bele) - 1/2 cup
9. Tamarind - a key lime size soaked in couple of tbsp of water and softened.
10. Curry leaves - few
11. Shredded coconut - a handful (optional)
    

Method:
In a sauce pan, dry roast the chana dal till golden brown. Set aside. In the same pan, heat oil, when hot add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add green chillies, curry leaves and hing. Add the peel and sprinkle turmeric and some salt. Let it cook for a few minutes till tender. Turn off the heat and let it cool down a bit. Grind this with chana dal, coconut if using and tamarind with very less water to thick paste. Adjust the salt. This goes very well with rice. Mix with hot rice and put some ghee or oil and eat. It can be served with idli, dosa too. The only reason I made these were peels of vegetable and fruits have more nutrients than the inside part and we throw the one we should be eating. And it is yummy too.

Happy Cooking!! Pin It