Dahi Bhindi (okra in yogurt curry)

I saw some lovely, lovely okra in the Indian store the other day, and this curry was the result. It’s interesting and particularly satisfying because of the combination of okra with yogurt and curry. I’ve also been loving it since it works as a one dish meal, and is relatively easy and quick to put together as Indian curries go. Wonderful on a rainy summer day, with rice or rotis.  Recipe is from Sanjeev Kapoor’s Low Fat Vegetarian cookbook.

Pretty tender green okra

Really good, tender okra. The tips of the okra should snap off easily, otherwise they are not tender enough.

Now chopped in half with tips cut off

Ingredients:
– 1 pound okra, washed and patted completely dry with a kitchen towel. Then either chopped in half with tips cut off or left whole with tips cut off, at your discretion. Stir fry in a tbsp of oil for 5 minutes and keep aside
– 1 inch ginger piece
– ¼ tsp whole pepper corns
– 1 tbsp oil
– 1 dry red chilli (tear into two pieces)
– 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
– 2 green chillis slit lengthwise
– 1 tsp coriander pwd
– pinch of turmeric powder
– 1 tbsp chick pea flour (besan), dry roasted for up to a minute (cooked dry in a pan with constant stirring until the flour starts to brown slightly and you get a nice roasted aroma. You’ll need this to thicken the gravy)
– 1 cup whole milk yogurt
– salt to taste

1. Peel a 1-inch long piece of ginger. Make a paste of the whole pepper corns and ginger. I used a mortar and pestle, but a blender could work also. Keep aside. Whisk the yogurt and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a cooking vessel and add the dry red chilli and cumin seeds and stir fry till slightly brown and very aromatic. Start at high heat but lower the heat when the cumin starts to brown.
3. Add the green chillis, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and chick pea flour, and stir well for 30 seconds until slightly brown and aromatic. Do not burn.
4. Add the cut okra (which have been stir fried in a tbsp of oil for 3-4 mts) and salt and cook over medium heat stirring frequently for 4-5 mts.
5. Stir in the ginger-pepper corn paste.
6. Reduce flame and add the whisked curds and mix well and cook covered for 12-15 mts stirring occasionally or till the okra is cooked and you get the desired curry consistency.
7. Serve hot with white steamed rice or chapatis.

Grind pepper corns and ginger using a mortar and pestle

All the spices sizzling

Simmer

Done!