Ingredients:
5 medium sized bhindi (okra/lady's finger)
1 tsp of oil
1/4 tsp salt
4 tsp water
for the tempering
1 tsp oil
1/2 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 red chilly whole
1/2 small sized tomato, finely chopped
1/4 tsp urad dal, washed and soaked
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
5 curry leaves
1/4 tsp haldi
for the paste
5 cashew
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/4 cup dahi
1/4 cup water
salt to taste
Method:
- wash the bhindi and pat dry. Cut each bhindi horizontally into 2 to get 10 pieces.
- wash and soak the urad dal in 1 tbsp of water for 10 mins. Drain before using.
- heat a kadai and add 1/2 tsp of oil. Heat the oil on a medium flame. Add the bhindi and stir, turn the flame on sim and close the lid, stir occasionally and keep adding 1 tsp of water at a time if required. Once the bhindi is cooked, turn the flame off.
- grind together cashew and coconut into a fine paste.
- mix curd to the cashew and coconut paste.
- heat a kadai. Add 1 tsp of oil. Add black mustard seed, when they splutter add the whole red chilli, urad dal and curry leaves. Cook till urad dal changes its colour. Add onion and saute. Add tomato and haldi and cook for two mins on medium low flame.
- once the tomato is cooked turn the gas off. Add 1 tbsp of water and mix well. Add the curd and coconut paste and mix well for a min. Add 1/4 cup of water and mix well.
- switch on the flame and cook the gravy on a low flame. Add salt to taste.
- cook the gravy to desired consistency. Add the fried bhindi, simmer for a minute. Switch off and serve hot.
Tips:
- you can also add hing to the tempering.
- you can also add garlic and ginger paste along with the onion.
- if the dahi is sour tomatoes can be avoided.
- it is very important to mix cashewnut paste to the curd, this prevents the curd from cuddling.
- this gravy thickens when it comes to room temperature, accordingly switch off the flame at a slightly thinner consistency than you actually desire.
- it is very important to get the pan off the flame and add a little bit of water before you add the curd mixture. This helps to prevent curd from cuddling.
- if you want a thicker gravy, reduce the amount of water added to the curd. Alternatively, you can increase the number of cashewnuts.
- you can 1/4 tsp of sugar to balance the flavours.
- you can also deep fry the bhindi. Add 1 tsp of cornflour to the bhindi and deep fry, it will result in crispy bhindi.
- you can keep the bhindi soft or crispy as per your taste.
- if you keep the bhindi crispy then do not cook the crispy bhindi in the gravy instead mix it with the gravy just before serving.
- you can sustitude the bhindi with fried brinjal,cauliflower, potato etc.
- this gravy tastes good with rotis, paratha or malabari paratha!
