Servings
Font
Back
Dahi Bhindi Recipe (North Indian Style)
4.7 from 66 votes

Dahi Bhindi Recipe (North Indian Style)

Dahi Bhindi is a North Indian dish featuring tender okra cooked with a smooth tomato and cashew paste, then combined with spiced yogurt and cream for a rich, mildly tangy sauce. The okra is sautéed until softened and gently simmered with spices and a blend of yogurt and cream, creating a creamy texture and balanced flavors from garlic, ginger, and kasuri methi. This results in a comforting vegetable dish where the slight sliminess of okra is controlled by the yogurt-based gravy, making it suitable as a side for flatbreads or rice.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Servings: 3
Calories: 245 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 200 to 250 grams okra okra or lady finger
  • ⅓ to ½ cup onion chopped
  • 2 tomato chopped - blended to a smooth paste, medium ripe red tomatoes and 6 to 7 whole cashews
  • 2 cashew chopped - blended to a smooth paste, medium ripe red tomatoes and 6 to 7 whole cashews
  • ½ cup curd (yogurt) - whisked till smooth
  • 3 to 4 garlic crushed to a paste in a mortar and pestle or 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, garlic and 1 inch piece of ginger
  • 3 to 4 ginger crushed to a paste in a mortar and pestle or 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste, garlic and 1 inch piece of ginger
  • 1.5 tablespoon besan (gram flour)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
  • ¼ or ½ teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon cream - low fat or light cream
  • 2 tablespoon neutral cooking oil for sauteing the okra, generic cooking oil
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter) or oil for the sauce
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon kasuri methi dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
  • salt as required

Instructions

Preparation
    Cup of Yum
  1. Rinse the okra (bhindi) in water for a couple of times.
  2. Dry the okra with a kitchen towel or spread them on a plate and let them dry on their own.
  3. Make sure that there is no moisture or water droplets on the okra before you start chopping them.
  4. Trim off the crown and tail of each okra. Chop the okra in 1 inch pieces. Keep aside the chopped okra.
  5. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add the chopped okra and saute for at least 8 to 10 minutes on low heat till they change color and are cooked and softened.
  6. Remove the sauteed bhindi and keep aside.
  7. Puree the tomatoes and cashews to a smooth paste in a blender or chutney grinder without adding any water. Make a fine and smooth puree or paste not having any chunks of cashews or unground tomato seeds.
  8. With a wired whisk, whip the yogurt till smooth in a bowl.
Making dahi bhindi
  1. Heat up the same pan in which we sauteed the okra.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon oil or ghee. Crackle the cumin seeds first.
  3. Add the chopped onion and saute till the onions change color or become translucent stirring often.
  4. Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few seconds or till the raw aroma goes away.
  5. Add the tomato-cashew paste and saute till oil starts to leave the sides of the mixture.
  6. The onion-tomato-cashew masala paste has to be sauteed very well.
  7. Keep on stirring often for uniform sauteing.
  8. The whole masala should come together and you should be able to see the specks of oil or fat leaving the sides of the masala.
  9. Add gram flour and saute for 1 to 2 minutes or more on low heat till the raw aroma of the gram flour goes away.
  10. Then add coriander powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder and turmeric powder. Mix and saute again for a minute.
  11. Switch off the heat and place the pan down. Add the whisked yogurt and water to the pan.
  12. Stir well with a wired whisk and add the sauteed okra and salt.
  13. 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.
  14. Add the crushed kasuri methi along with the cream and simmer for half a minute. Garnish with coriander leaves.
  15. Serve dahi wali bhindi with some hot phulkas, naan or rotis. You can also have it with cumin rice or steamed basmati rice.

Nutrition Information

Calories 245kcal (12%) Carbohydrates 16g (5%) Protein 5g (10%) Fat 18g (28%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Monounsaturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 23mg (8%) Sodium 45mg (2%) Potassium 554mg (12%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 7g (14%) Vitamin A 1460IU (29%) Vitamin C 29.3mg (33%) Calcium 127mg (13%) Iron 1.3mg (7%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 245

% Daily Value*

Calories 245kcal 12%
Carbohydrates 16g 5%
Protein 5g 10%
Fat 18g 28%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 23mg 8%
Sodium 45mg 2%
Potassium 554mg 12%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 7g 14%
Vitamin A 1460IU 29%
Vitamin C 29.3mg 33%
Calcium 127mg 13%
Iron 1.3mg 7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.