Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala Recipe | Simple Dahi Bhindi Recipe

Learn how to make Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala ~ Crispy okra cooked in creamy and spicy yogurt gravy

There are many advantages of cooking from food blogs than cook books. One you get introduced to new cuisines with simple as well exotic ingredients. Second you get to see how the actual dish looks with drool worthy photos posted along the recipes. For me the best part is you can easily reach out  the blogger and clear all your doubts/queries which otherwise is not possible with cookbook authors. And not to forget, you get all these services without costing you a penny. Yup, the buzz word is free. ;)

Ingredients for Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala

Since twelve years of blogging, I have tried many recipes following the recipes posted in blogs. Very few times the end result ended up in garbage but many a times it was licked clean from plates, spoons and even the serving bowl. When I think of those recipes which have become my family favourites, I realised I haven’t posted most of them. So with this new mission of mine, I will be posting all the recipes I had tried and tested from bloggers and most importantly, loved by my family will be posted under the tag called  Recipes from Your Kitchen to Mine.


One of the recipes in this series which is loved by everyone whenever I have served it is from lovely, sweet and chatter box (sorry couldn’t help it;) Swati who blogs at Chatkhor. This Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala is Swati's aunt's recipe which she blogged few years ago and being big time Okra lovers, it didn’t take too long for us try it. When I first tried the recipe I was a novice cook who had most kitchen disasters when it came to yogurt based curries. I was curious as how creamy the yogurt gravy looked as most of the times when yogurt added in a curry ended up curdling with unpleasant texture and taste. My only solution to this problem was to add yogurt just before switching off the flame. But in Swati’s recipe, she used a paste made using cashews soaked in milk and coconut and Bingo, I got fool proof recipe for getting creamy yogurt gravy without curdling it. Both cashews and coconut are used in many recipes to thicken the gravy, giving it a creamy texture and also to enhance its taste. The amount of cashew and coconut used in this gravy is comparatively quite small without overpowering the actual yogurt based gravy. This cashew-coconut paste is just enough to give creamy gravy without you worrying too much about the calorie. 

Another intersecting tip was sprinkle little salt on okra pieces and marinate for few minutes before frying. I was not sure about the reason behind it till I decided to give it a try and realised it actually helps in reducing the sliminess of okra. With few modifications to suit our taste, this recipe is a keeper. Thanks dear Swati for sharing this delicious recipe with us which has become one of our favourite yogurt based curry.

So, listen all you okra/bhindi lovers, this is one recipe you MUST try! Creamy, subtly spiced and finger licking good Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala is pure decadence and joy with every mouthful! The spices used are very little, just enough to give it a touch of warmth without being overly spicy and while curry leaves in crunchy tadka imparts wonderful aroma to the dish, the pleasantly bitter kasuri methi enhances its flavour. The final result is crispy okra in a mildly spiced, tangy, creamy gravy which is the perfect thing to mop up with some flaky parathas or puffed up warm rotis.Cook this first and you can thank me later! I promise you, this one is finger licking good and if you are a crazy about okra/bhindi like me, you will end up licking the spoon, plate and even the serving bowl!

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Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala (Fried Okra in creamy Cashew-Coconut-Yogurt gravy)

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 25-30 mins
Recipe Level: Easy to Intermediate
Spice Level: Low to Medium
Serves: 5-6 People
Recipe Source: Chatkhor
Shelf Life: Best served fresh but can be refrigerated for 2-3 days
Serving Suggestion: With any Indian flat breads 

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Ingredients:
20-24 (around 5-6 cups) Bhindi/Okra, washed, dried and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large Onion, finely chopped
2 large Tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tbsp Tomato Paste (Optional)
1 tsp Sugar (Optional, to balance the sour taste of amchur and yogurt)
1 cup Yogurt, whisked until smooth
2 heaped tbsp Grated Coconut, fresh/frozen
6-8 Whole Cashew Nuts, soaked in warm milk for at least 10 mins
½ -1 tbsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves
1 tsp Garam Masala/Kitchen King Masala
½ -1 tsp Red Chilli Powder (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ -1 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
1 tsp Coriander Powder
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
½ tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal/Split Black Lentils
2-3 Dry Red Chillies, halved
A generous pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
Few Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Oil

Method:
Preparation:

1. Wash and pat dry the okra. Trim the ends and cut them into 1 inch long pieces. 
2. Sprinkle little salt to okra pieces and mix well. Keep it aside for half an hour. This helps in reducing the sliminess while pan frying the okra. This step is optional but recommend.
3. Soak the cashew nuts in warm milk or water for at least 10 minutes. 
4. Finely chop the onion and tomatoes and keep them aside.  
5. Grind soaked cashews and coconut to smooth paste adding the milk used for soaking. Keep it aside till needed.

Proceed to cook:

1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add okra pieces to it. Fry them continuously at medium to high flame till they turn brown retaining their crispiness, about 7-10 mins. Alternatively you can deep fry them but I prefer pan frying for healthy option. Transfer these fried okras to a plate lined with kitchen/paper towel and keep them aside till needed.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds to it. When mustard starts to pop and splutter, add cumin seeds, urad dal, dry red chillies, hing and curry leaves and sauté it for a minute till cumin seeds and dal turns golden brown in colour.
3. Now add finely chopped onions and fry till they turn light golden, about 1-2 mins. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for another minute till their raw smell disappears and onion turns golden brown. 
4. Next add all the dry masalas (garam/kitchen king masala, red chilli powder, amchur, turmeric and coriander powder) along with crushed Kasuri Methi and fry for a minute on low heat.
5. Mix in finely chopped tomatoes and sauté till they turn pulpy and release their juice, about 2 minutes. Now add ground cashew-coconut paste and mix well. Keep stirring for a minute.
6. Add yogurt, sugar and salt to taste and stir well. Depending on the consistency of gravy required, add ½-1 cup of water and mix well. Simmer the gravy and let it cook uncovered for another 5 minutes.
7. Mix in fried okra and adjust the seasonings. Add little more water if you think the gravy is too thick and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. 
8. Serve this delicious gravy of Hyderabadi Dahi Bhindi Masala with any roties or flavoured Basmati rice and enjoy. 

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Sia's Notes:

• Try not to skimp the amount of oil used in this recipe.
• There are couple of things to keep in mind when prepping and cooking with okra. Here are my few handy tips for those who find it difficult to cut and cook this slimy okra or bhindi. Always choose young and tender okras. The best ones are the ones that get easily snapped when you bend the tail end of the pod.
• Make sure that you dry the okra completely after washing and are moisture free. Either spread them on kitchen towel in single layer and leave it for few hours or pat them dry with dry kitchen towel to remove any moisture.
• When cutting them, make sure that you use a dry chopping board and knife. Keep some dry kitchen tissues nearby and clean the slime from the knife every now and then while chopping the okra. I had tried stir frying the okra with very little oil and ended up with really slimy okras. So I usually use little extra oil than normal and cook it on a very high heat. This way the okras not only lose their sliminess, but also retain their crunch and that beautiful emerald green colour.