Achari Dahi Bhindi
Spicy, tangy and just delicious! This mouth watering Okra dish will make you come back for seconds every time.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Fresh Okra washed and cut into ½" or ¾"
- 1 Onion medium sized finely chopped
- 2 Tomatoes medium sized finely chopped
- 1 cup Vegan Yoghurt
- 2 tablespoon Chickpea Flour remove lumps before adding
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 1 tablespoon Cumin Powder
- 1 inch Fresh Ginger finely chopped
- ½ cup Cilantro chopped
- Salt to taste
- 5 tablespoon Avocado Oil
Achari Masala
- 1 teaspoon Nigella Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Black Mustard Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds
- 1 tablespoon Fennel Seeds
- 1-2 Dry Red Chillis
Instructions
To make achari masala mix
- Heat a pan at medium low heat. Add all the ingredients to the pan and let it dry roast. Ensure you are constantly stirring all the spices to ensure nothing gets burnt.
- Once you notice the spices getting more fragrant, continue slowly roasting for another 4-5 minutes till nicely toasted. Turn off the stove and let the spices cool down.
- Place these whole spices in a spice grinder or a mortar & pestle. Grind them till there are tiny pieces of spices (not ground completely smooth) to ensure there is some texture. Store in a metal or glass jar.
To make achari dahi bhindi
- Heat a large pan or kadai(Indian wok) at medium heat. Add 3 tablespoon of neutral oil and slowly add the okra pieces once the oil is hot
- Saute until the okra is slightly browned and crispy. Make sure not to add salt at this point since this would release moisture and make the okra soggy. Remove and keep aside.
- In the same pan, add 2 tablespoon of oil and add the chopped onion. Saute until translucent and then add the ginger. Let it cook for a minute more.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes and the spices besides the achaari masala. Stir well and let cook for 4-5 minutes. Now add 3-4 teaspoon of achari masala. Season to taste.
- Whisk together the yoghurt and chickpea flour(see recipe notes) and add to the onion- tomato mixture. Cook for a minute and add the okra. Mix well and season more if required.
- Top with chopped cilantro and serve hot with flatbread or rice.
Notes
- If you don't have yoghurt or prefer not to use, skip it altogether and just add a cup of water instead. It will still turn out delicious!
- Yoghurt is whisked with chickpea flour before adding it to the pan to prevent it from splitting.
- Make extra of the Achari Masala to use with other vegetables like potatoes or non melting cheese like paneer. Use it as a marinade for tofu before cooking it.
- Frying or sautéing okra separately is key to ensuring it does not get soggy and "snotty". Always add the fired okra black in the end just before tuning off the stove in a gravy like dish.
- Nigella seeds are also called onion seeds and are usually available at an Indian store. They look like matte black sesame seeds.