shahi bhindi | okra in a creamy rich gravy

Shahi bhindi recipe with step by step photos – okra or bhindi in a creamy rich gravy. This restaurant style shahi bhindi curry is a good side dish with chapatis or parathas.

Sharing a favorite okra curry which is also my mother’s signature dish. Many of her friends and family members ask her for this recipe. It was time I thought I should add this recipe on the blog too. Though most of the times I make this very simple Bhindi do pyaaza. but on occasions I do make this rich curry with bhindi.

As a family we are all bhindi lovers and bhindi is made once a week at home. There are already many Bhindi curry recipes on the blog like:

1. Dahi wali bhindi
2. Ladies finger curry
3. Vendakkai sambar
4. Bendakaya pulusu (Andhra style okra gravy with tamarind)

This recipe of restaurant-style shahi bhindi is simple and calls for the usual ingredients like onions, tomatoes and cashews to make a nice creamy gravy. You can easily add blanched almonds instead of cashews. The recipe also uses fresh curd and cream.

Shahi bhindi gravy Goes very well as a side dish with tandoori rotis, parathas or chapatis.

How to make shahi bhindi

Preparation

1. Rinse 250 grams bhindi (okra) in water. Then wipe dry them with a kitchen towel or just allow to dry them naturally in a plate.

2. Slice off the crown and base of each bhindi and make a slit on one side.

3. Sprinkle ½ tsp chaat masala and ¼ tsp salt.

4. Mix and toss the bhindi very well with the salt and chaat masala. Keep aside for 5 minutes.

5. In a dry grinder, powder 14 to 15 cashews finely. If some fat releases while powdering the cashews, its alright. You can also substitute blanched almonds, instead of cashews.

6. Beat ½ cup fresh curd/dahi and keep aside.

7. Crush 1 inch ginger + 4 to 5 garlic + 2 green chilies, crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle. You can also grind these in a small grinder. Also thinly slice 1 large onion and chop 1 medium to large tomato finely.

Making shahi bhindi curry

8. Heat 4 to 5 tbsp oil in a pan and add the bhindi. Stir very well.

9. On a low to medium flame, saute the bhindi till they become tender and are just about cooked. No need to brown them. You can saute the bhindi in batches too.

10. Drain them on kitchen paper towels.

11. In the same pan, add ½ tsp cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida. Saute till the cumin seeds crackle.

12. Then add 1 heaped cup of sliced onions.

13. Stir very well.

14. Saute the onions till they turn light golden.

15. Then add the crushed ginger-garlic-green chili paste. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.

16. Add ⅓ cup finely chopped tomatoes.

17. Stir and then add the ground cashew powder.

18. On a low to medium flame, stir and saute the masala mixture for 5 to 6 minutes till you see oil releasing from the sides.

19. Then add 2 tbsp besan or gram flour, ¼ tsp turmeric powder and ½ tsp coriander powder. Besan is added to prevent the yogurt from getting curdled.

20. Stir and saute for a minute.

21. Keep the flame to the lowest and add the beaten curd gradually.

22. As soon as you add the curd, Quickly stir so that the curd does not curdle.

23. Stir and mix very well.

24. now add 1 to 1.25 cups water.

25. Stir again well.

26. Season with salt as required and simmer for two minutes.

27. Add bhindi.

28. Stir very well.

29. Now add 1 tbsp milk powder/dairy whitener. 2 tbsp milk powder can also be added, but it makes the bhindi gravy more sweet. Substitutes for milk powder is fresh cream and khoya. If adding khoya you can add once the tomatoes are sauteed well. Saute the khoya for a minute or two. If adding cream, then add right at the end when the gravy is done. We always add cream, but on this day I ran out of cream and hence added milk powder.

30. Stir again.

31. Cover and allow the okra to simmer for 7 to 8 minutes on a low flame. Do keep a check so that the bhindi does not become mushy.

32. Lastly add ½ tsp garam masala powder. You can also add ½ tsp kasuri methi at this step.

33. Stir well.

34. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and Serve shahi bhindi curry with chapatis or rotis.

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Save

Shahi Bhindi

4.64 from 11 votes

By Dassana Amit

Shahi bhindi is a delicious recipe of okra in a rich creamy gravy. A good side dish with chapatis or parathas.

Save Pin Print

Prep Time 25 mins

Cook Time 35 mins

Total Time 1 hr

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Cuisine Mughlai, North Indian

Course: Main Course

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Servings 3 to 4

Units

Ingredients

for sauteing the okra

• ▢ 250 grams bhindi (okra or lady finger)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon chaat masala
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 4 to 5 tablespoon oil

other ingredients

• ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• ▢ 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• ▢ 1 large onion, thinly sliced or 150 grams onions or 1 heaped cup sliced onions
• ▢ 1 medium to large tomato or 100 grams tomatoes or 1/3 cup finely chopped tomatoes
• ▢ 1 inch ginger + 4 to 5 medium garlic + 2 green chilies - crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle or ground in a small grinder
• ▢ 14 to 15 cashews powdered in a dry grinder (add 14 to 15 blanched almonds instead of cashews)
• ▢ 2 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
• ▢ ½ cup fresh curd (yogurt)
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ▢ 1 to 1.25 cups water or add as required
• ▢ 2 tablespoon fresh cream or 1 tablespoon milk powder or 1 to 2 tablespoon grated khoya (mawa or evaporated milk solids)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) - crushed (optional)
• ▢ 1 to 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves for garnish
• ▢ salt as required

Instructions

sauteing okra

• Rinse 250 grams okra in water. Then wipe dry them with a kitchen towel or just allow them to dry them naturally on a plate.
• Slice off the crown and base of each okra and make a slit on one side.
• Sprinkle 1/2 tsp chaat masala and 1/4 tsp salt.
• Mix and toss the okra very well with the salt and chaat masala. Keep aside for 5 minutes.
• Heat 4 to 5 tbsp oil in a pan and add the okra. Stir very well.
• Saute the okra till they become tender and are just about cooked. No need to brown them.
• Drain them on kitchen paper towels.

prepping other ingredients

• In a dry grinder, powder 14 to 15 cashews finely. If some fat releases while powdering the cashews, its alright. Keep aside.
• Beat 1/2 cup fresh curd till smooth and keep aside.
• Crush 1 inch ginger + 4 to 5 garlic + 2 green chilies, crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle. You can also grind these in a small grinder. Also slice the onions thinly and chop the tomato.

making shahi bhindi

• In the same pan, add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida. Saute till the cumin seeds crackle.
• Then add 1 heaped cup of sliced onions. Stir very well.
• Saute the onions till they light golden.
• Then add the crushed ginger-garlic-green chili paste. Stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
• Add 1/3 cup finely chopped tomatoes.
• Stir and then add the ground cashew powder.
• On a low to medium flame, stir and saute for 5 to 6 minutes till you see oil releasing from the sides.
• Then add 2 tbsp besan or gram flour, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp coriander powder.
• Stir and saute for a minute.
• Lower the flame and then add the beaten curd gradually.
• As soon as you add the curd, quickly stir so that the curd does not curdle.
• Stir and mix very well.
• Now add 1 to 1.25 cups water. Stir again well. Season with salt as required.
• Simmer the gravy for 2 minutes. Then add the sauteed okra. Stir very well.
• Now add 1 tbsp milk powder/dairy whitener. 2 tbsp milk powder can also be added, but it makes the gravy a little more sweet. 
• Substitutes for milk powder is fresh cream and khoya. If adding khoya you can add once the tomatoes are sauteed well. Saute the khoya for a minute. If adding cream, then add right at the end when the okra gravy is done.
• Stir again. Cover and allow the okra curry to simmer for 7 to 8 minutes on a low flame.
• Lastly add 1/2 tsp garam masala powder. You can also add 1/2 tsp kasuri methi at this step. Stir well.
• Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve shahi bhindi with chapatis or rotis.

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