Indian cooking
Indian cooking / Dishes / Dahi ma Bheeda
Dahi ma Bheeda (Okra in Yoghurt Sauce)

Dahi ma Bheeda

Okra in Yoghurt Sauce
Vegetarian●●●Origin ParsiPrep 15 minutesCook 15 minutes

Tender-crisp okra lightly fried and then simmered in a spiced, gently warmed yoghurt gravy. The sauce is mildly tangy, savoury, and fragrant with cumin, garlic, and ginger.

aromatics and ground spices

78 gFried in the residual oil (step 3)
Mix together into a thick paste ready for the pan.

Everything else

01
Okra · Bhinditopped and tailed (trimmed)
1000 g
vegetable
02
54–81 g4–6 tablespoons
oil/fat
03
456 g450 ml
dairy
04
to taste
salt

Method

  1. Slice 1000 g okra into 1 cm (½ in) rounds, transfer to a bowl, and season lightly with salt.
  2. Warm 54–81 g vegetable oil in a deep, heavy skillet over high heat, then dial the flame down to medium. Fry the okra for 2–3 minutes until crisp while keeping its vibrant green colour, then lift out with a slotted spoon to drain on kitchen paper.
  3. Add the aromatics and ground spices to the pan and fry for around 2 minutes, splashing in a little water if the mixture begins to catch on the bottom.
  4. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in 456 g plain yogurt a little at a time until completely smooth.
  5. Return the skillet to a very low flame and cook gently for 2–3 minutes. Add salt to taste, return the drained okra to the sauce, and simmer for 2 minutes more until thoroughly warmed through.

Don't have something?

Okra
  • Cluster bean

    Use the same weight, topped, tailed and cut into similar pieces. It is firmer and less mucilaginous; cook a few minutes longer until tender.

  • Green bean

    Use the same weight, trimmed and cut into short lengths. It cooks faster and stays crisp; add towards the end and expect no okra stickiness.

  • Aubergine

    Use the same weight, cut into small pieces and cook until soft. It gives a soft, seedy texture but no okra mucilage and absorbs more oil.

Vegetable oil
  • Peanut oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Handles high-heat frying identically and introduces a very subtle, pleasant nuttiness.

  • Ghee

    Use 1:1 by weight. Yields a much richer, authentic aroma and a glossy, heavier mouthfeel.

  • Mustard oil

    Use 1:1 by weight. Heat until smoking, then cool slightly before cooking to temper its intensely pungent, sharp mustard kick.

Ginger paste
  • Fresh ginger

    Use equal weight; peel and grate very finely on a microplane or pound to a fine paste in a mortar.

  • Ginger

    Use equal weight; mince finely and crush with the flat of a knife before frying.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 20% of the weight; add directly with the dry spice powders, though it yields an earthier, less pungent profile.

Garlic paste
  • Garlic

    Use equal weight; crush or finely grate to a smooth pulp to replicate the same fresh, pungent moisture in your base gravy.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 20 to 25% of the weight; mix with a teaspoon of water before adding to oil so it does not burn, noting it lacks the fresh bite.

Ground turmeric
  • Ground ginger

    Use 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.

  • Saffron

    Steep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Chilli powder
  • Red chilli powder

    Use 100% of the weight. Provides direct, sharp heat and red colour in equal measure.

  • Kashmiri chilli powder

    Use 150% to 200% of the weight if matching colour, but add a pinch of black pepper or hot chilli if you need equivalent fiery heat.

  • Cayenne pepper

    Use 75% to 100% of the weight. Offers a sharp, clean heat with slightly less earthy depth and less crimson colour.

Ground cumin
  • Cumin seed

    Dry-roast briefly and grind finely; use equal weight (1:1). Imparts an even punchier, nuttier, toasty aroma than pre-ground cumin.

  • Ground coriander

    Use equal weight (1:1). Adds mild, lemony sweetness rather than cumin's smoky, earthy bite; curries will taste lighter and less savoury.

  • Black cumin seeds

    Grind finely; use 60% to 75% of the weight. Produces a darker, more complex, smoky-herbal flavour suited to rich gravies.

Plain yogurt
  • Yogurt

    Use equal weight, whisked thoroughly until smooth before adding to hot dishes to prevent curdling.

  • Coconut milk

    Use equal weight with 1 teaspoon lemon juice mixed in. Provides rich creaminess in curries, but adds a noticeable coconut flavour.

  • Single cream

    Use 80% of the weight plus a squeeze of lemon juice for acidity. Enriches sauces nicely, though it is richer and less tangy.

Similar dishes

Dum ki Bhindi
Slow-cooked Okra in Yoghurt Sauce
It tastes richer and hotter from the ghee, fresh chillies, and garam masala, but is noticeably less tangy than this dish.
  • Same: Dum ki Bhindi also features okra cooked in a yoghurt-based sauce seasoned with garlic, ginger, turmeric, and chilli powder.
  • Different: Dum ki Bhindi uses far less yoghurt, adds ghee, green chillies, and garam masala instead of ground cumin, and slow-cooks the okra rather than simmering it.
Bharwan Bhindi
Stuffed Okra
It has a more tart and heavily spiced profile from the dried mango powder and warm spices, without the pungent ginger-garlic bite of this dish.
  • Same: Bharwan Bhindi also simmers okra in a spiced plain yogurt sauce seasoned with ground cumin, turmeric, and chilli powder.
  • Different: Instead of cooking loose okra with ginger and garlic pastes, Bharwan Bhindi stuffs the pods and braises them with onions, amchoor, fennel, black cardamom, coriander, and nutmeg.
Vendakkai Pulussu
Okra in Tamarind Sauce
Vendakkai Pulussu tastes bolder and sweet-and-sour from tamarind, tomatoes, and sugar, rather than creamy and mildly tangy like this dish.
  • Same: Vendakkai Pulussu also simmers okra in vegetable oil seasoned with garlic paste, turmeric, and chilli powder.
  • Different: Instead of a yoghurt base spiced with ginger and cumin, it builds a sauce from tamarind extract, tomatoes, onions, and coriander, finished with a temper of mustard seeds, fenugreek, and curry leaves.
Khara Bheeda
Savoury Okra
Khara Bheeda tastes savoury and tangy from tomato and green chilli, while this dish tastes mildly tangy and creamy from warmed yoghurt with cumin, garlic, and ginger.
  • Same: Khara Bheeda shares okra as the main ingredient, plus vegetable oil, ground turmeric, and salt.
  • Different: Khara Bheeda adds onion, tomato, green chilli, and coriander leaves, and it lacks yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste, ground cumin, and chilli powder; it is dry-fried rather than simmered in a yoghurt gravy.