Dahi-Bhindi

#myrecipe
By Saptarishi Basu

Jun, 17th

606

Servings
3 persons
Cook Time
35 minutes
Ingredients
15 - 17

Ingredients

  • Bhindi/Okhra/Ladies' Fingers 200-250 Gms
  • Medium-Sized Onion (Finely Chopped) 1 No.
  • Tomato Puree 1/2 a Cup
  • Cashews 6-7 whole then blended with the Puree till smooth
  • Curd (Yogurt) (Whisked till Smooth) 1/2 a Cup
  • Grated ginger 1 Inch
  • Besan (Gram Flour) 1.5 tablespoons
  • Cumin and Coriander powder mixture 1 teaspoon
  • Red Chilli Powder 1/4 teaspoon
  • Turmeric Powder 1/4th teaspoon
  • Garam Masala Powder 1/2 teaspoon
  • Water 2 Cups
  • Cream 1-2 tablespoon/s
  • Cooking oil (for sauteing the Bhindi) 2 tablespoons
  • Ghee/Butter(for the sauce) 1 tablespoon
  • Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)(Crushed) 1/4th-1/2 teaspoon
  • Table Salt To taste

Instructions

  • Rinse the okra (bhindi) in water for a couple of times.
  • Dry the bhindi with a kitchen towel or spread them on a plate and let them dry on their own.
  • Trim off the head and tail of the bhindi. Chop the bhindi in 1 inch pieces. Keep aside the chopped bhindi.
  • Heat the 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the chopped bhindi and saute for atleast 8-10 minutes on a low flame till they change color and are cooked.
  • Remove the sauted bhindi and keep aside.
  • Add the tomato puree and cashews to a smooth paste in a blender.
  • With a wired whisk, whip the yogurt till smooth.
  • Making Dahi Bhindi:
  • Heat up the same pan in which we sauted the bhindi.
  • Add 1 tbsp oil or ghee. Crackle the cumin seeds first.
  • Add the chopped onion and saute till the onions changes color or becomes translucent.
  • Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for about 15-20 seconds or till the raw aroma goes away. By now the onion will turn light brown or golden.
  • Add the tomato-cashew paste and saute till oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
  • The onion-tomato-cashew masala paste has to be sauted very well.
  • Keep on stirring often for uniform sauteing.
  • The whole masala should come together and you should be able to see the oil or fat leaving the sides of the masala.
  • Add gram flour and saute for 1-2 minutes or more on a low flame till the raw aroma of the gram flour goes away.
  • Add all the spice powders and saute again for a minute.
  • Switch off the fire and place the pan down. Add the whisked yogurt and water to the pan. Stir well with a wired whisk and add the sauted bhindi and salt.
  • Keep the pan on the fire and simmer the gravy till the mixture starts to thicken and you see the oil or ghee floating on top.
  • Add the crushed kasuri methi along with the cream and simmer for half a minute.
  • Serve dahi bhindi with some piping-hot rice/ paratha or Chappati!
  • Bon appetite!

Notes/Tips

During choosing of the cooking oil, vegetable oil is highly recommended as it is cholesterol free and is good for the heart.