Dahi bhindi recipe with step by step photos – sauteed okra in a smooth, creamy, lightly spiced and tangy sauce. This delicious recipe of dahi wali bhindi is easy to make and goes very well accompanied with some hot rotis, chapatis or naan. The next best accompaniment is steamed basmati rice or jeera rice.
The sauce or gravy is tangy and lightly spiced. i have used pureed tomatoes in the sauce which gives a tang. So along with the yogurt, there is a sourness, tang… And a subtle sweetness due to cashews, gram flour and cream. The addition of gram flour or besan does not allow the yogurt to curdle.
The okra or bhindi is sauteed in oil till they are completely cooked. This technique also gets rid of the sliminess in the okra. The gravy or sauce is then made and the sauted okra are added to it. The end result is the soft succulent pieces of okra in a smooth creamy tangy sauce.
Another recipe on the blog with okra and yogurt combination is this Shahi bhindi. You can also have a look at this Punjabi style Dahi aloo.
How to make dahi bhindi
1. Rinse 200 to 250 grams of bhindi (okra) in water for a couple of times. Then dry the bhindi with a kitchen towel or spread them on a plate and let them dry on their own.
3. Trim off the head and tail of the bhindi. Chop the bhindi in 1 inch pieces. Keep aside the chopped bhindi.
3. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add the chopped bhindi.
4. Saute for at least 8 to 10 minutes on a low flame till they change color and are cooked.
5. Remove the sauteed bhindi and keep aside.
6. Add 2 medium-sized chopped tomatoes and 6 to 7 cashews to the blender or chutney grinder.
7. Puree the tomatoes and cashews to a smooth paste.
8. With a wired whisk, whip ½ cup yogurt (curd or dahi) till smooth.
Making dahi bhindi
9. Heat the same pan in which we sauteed the bhindi. Add 1 tablespoon oil or ghee. Crackle ½ teaspoon cumin seeds first.
10. Then add 1 medium sized chopped onion. Saute till the onions change color or become translucent.
11. Crush 3 to 4 garlic and ½ inch ginger to a paste in mortar and pestle. Add the ginger-garlic paste.
12. Saute for about 15 to 20 seconds or till the raw aroma goes away. By now the onion will turn light brown or golden.
13. Add the tomato-cashew paste.
14. Stir and mix well.
15. Saute till oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
16. The onion-tomato-cashew masala paste has to be sauteed 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.
17. Add 1.5 tablespoon besan (gram flour).
18. Saute for 1-2 minutes or more on a low flame till the raw aroma of the besan (gram flour) goes away.
19. Then add ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
20. Saute again for a minute. Switch off the fire and place the pan down.
21. Add the whisked yogurt (curd) to the pan.
22. Pour 2 cups of water.
23. Stir well with a wired whisk. Then add the sauteed bhindi.
24. Next add salt as required.
25. Keep the pan on the fire. Simmer the gravy till the mixture starts to thicken and you see the oil or ghee floating on top.
26. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and 1 to 2 tablespoon cream.
27. Simmer the gravy for half a minute.
28. Serve Dahi bhindi with some hot phulkas, naan or rotis.
Few more tasty recipes for you!
- Kadhi recipe – Punjabi kadhi pakora
- Gatte ki sabji – popular gravy based dish from the Rajasthani cuisine.
- Vendakkai sambar – delicious sambar made with okra or bhindi.
- Bendakaya pulusu – Andhra style okra gravy with tamarind,
Dahi Bhindi
Ingredients
- 200 to 250 grams bhindi (okra or lady finger)
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 medium ripe red tomatoes + 6-7 whole cashews, chopped - blended to a smooth paste
- ½ cup curd (yogurt) - whisked till smooth
- 3 to 4 garlic + ½ inch ginger - crushed to a paste in a mortar and pestle
- 1.5 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
(ground coriander)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ or ½ teaspoon garam masala powder - if homemade or very strong then just add ¼ teaspoon
- 2 cups water
- 1 to 2 tablespoon cream
- 2 tablespoon oil for sauting the bhindi
- 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or oil for the sauce
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
- salt as required
Instructions
preparation
- 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.
- Puree the tomatoes and cashews to a smooth paste in a blender or chutney grinder.
- 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 hot phulkas, naan or rotis
Wonderful recipe..great….keep it up
thank you.
Great.
Please add dahi karela recipe..
mansi, have taken a note of your recipe request and will try to add.
Hi Dassana,
I love your recipes and the way you give step by step direction is just amazing. A very big Thanks to you…Am able to cook well. Your recipes are just perfect for our family.
thanks nisha. glad to read your comment. wish you a happy diwali in advance.
Thanks for posting this recipe. Tried it for lunch today and was fantastic!
I made some minor changes to the recipe. Example, I ground ginger garlic along with tomato and cashew, skipped adding heavy cream at the end, used ragi flour instead of basan and added finely chopped tomatoes before adding bhindi.
thanks evi for the review and the feedback on dahi bhindi. also thanks for sharing the changes you made. it will help the readers too.
Hi Dasanna,
I have started using your recipes and everything turned out to be soooo good. Thanks you.
One doubt – In this recipe of Dhahi Bhindi, is there a substitute for Besan flour? Or, will it be fine, if i completely omit that step?
Thanks,
Senden
thanks senden. you can use rice flour or corn flour instead of besan. besan is used to thicken the gravy as well as prevents the curd from getting split. with rice flour and corn flour (corn starch) the taste will change.
Hi Dasanna,
Tried this out today and served it along with Jeera rice. It came out fantastic. Thanks for the recipe.
Love,
Priya
Welcome Priyanka. Glad to know this.