Curry In Kadai ~ An Indian Cooking Blog

Okra aka Bendi( Ladys Finger ) is not that widely used, but back home Okra is the most popular veggie not just for its flavor but for its MATHS improving powers! Yes may be thats the big reason i used to score good marks at Maths. Thanks to my mom, though i was a big fan of Dondakaya fry/ Tindora fry, she made sure we eat more Bendi than Dondi( yep we used to call it like that ). Hope everyone from India knows this 'Okra sharpens your brain unlike Tindora' and many people believe and we kids used to have Okra curry, i think it might have given us confidence that our maths skills had really improved just before the exam day( I know its funny! )


Coming to the recipe, i had this curry from one of our Marwadi friends and fallen in love with it. Marwadis use Dhaniya powder a lot and their curries looks so simple yet delicious and satisfying. And when they say it sounds really simple with very few ingredients. This curry uses freshly home made yogurt, dhaniya( corinader ) powder, red chilli powder and mint. Thats it! Worried about the stickiness from Okra? Adding yogurt or lime would significantly reduce it. Click here for tips on cooking perfect okra!


You need:
1 cup lighlty whipped fresh homemade yogurt(perugu) or dannon yogurt
2 cups chopped Okra
1 onion
2 tbsp dhaniya powder/ corinader powder
1/2 tbsp - 1 tbsp red chilli powder
3 - 4 stalks mint
2-3 stalks of cilantro( i didnt have it then )
4 tbsp oil
a pinch of turmeric


How to:
Heat oil in kadai or wok and add onion and okra
Add turmeric and fry till okra softens and cooked
Add dhaniya powder and chilli powder
Fry for 1 more min
Once okra is completely cooked, should melt right away when eaten
Add salt and whipped/whisked yogurt.
Cook for 2-3 min
Add chopped mint leaves and switch off the heat
P.S: Adjust salt and spice to taste

To relish the maximum flavor of the dish please do eat it when fresh and hot. Serve this Dahi Bendi( bendakaya perugu kura ) with hot hot rotis or rice. This time we had this curry with Aloo Parathas and it was Finger Licking Good. Dont take my word on this, try it for yourself to see how easy and delicious the curry is!

Tags:Bendakaya perugu kura, Bendhi Yougurt Curry, Bendi dahi curry, bendi masala, bhindi curry, Bhindi Yogurt curry

I made this spicy okra indian curry for chapathis. I know not many people like to cook with Okra because of its mushy( gummy ) texture while cooking. If you follow these tips i promise you wont think about it in that way. To prepare any Okra curry, please follow these steps.

1. Wash and drain okra half an hour or one hour before.
2. Okra should be very dry and clean.
3. Never add salt when cooking okra, add it only when the curry is completely done.
4. Add some thick yogurt( curd ) when cooking.
5. Another great tip is to use lemon juice instead of yogurt. This worked like charm for me!
5. And never ever add water when making okra curry ( unless it is a stew, pulusu, sambar etc., )
Hope the above steps would give you the results.



This okra is very simple yet full of flavor and spice. A touch of fresh mint is a lively addition to the plain simple Okra Curry. Mint is like queen of herbs to me since just adding one leaf would add that ZING to any boring dish! Though you add a lot of cilantro instead of Mint, you would still be missing that unique flavor from fresh mint. The tanginess from tomatoes and the fresh flavor from mint makes this okra curry finger licking GOOD! This will be my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging Event!


Ingredients:
2 pounds okra( cleaned and dried )
1 big red onion
1 big tomato( seeded )
2 tbsp thick yogurt
1 tsp turmeric( optional )
1 tsp jeera powder( cumin powder )
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp curry powder
2 tsp red chilli powder or 4 chopped green chillies
1 tsp ginger chopped
1 tsp garlic chopped
4 tbsp vegetable oil



Procedure:

• Cut okra in 1/2 inch pieces.
• Chop onions into 1/2 inch pieces
• Chop tomotoes( remove the seeds and juice )
• Heat oil in kadai or wok and add onions, ginger, garlic and okra
• After 5-10 min add thick yogurt so that okra doesnt become mushy
  
• When okra starts to turn into golden brown add the powders and let them coat all the pieces in the curry
  
• Add tomatoes and cook the curry for a little while till the all the moisture id gone
  
• Add salt at the end and decorate curry with chopped coriander and mint leaves

Serve this indian okra curry hot with chapathi, rice or naan.

Tags: bendi masala, bhindi curry, okra curry, okra tips

This is my second recipe for Okra. I love to try different recipes with bendakaya and i can have it in any which way. I know people cook so many dishes with okra like okra fry, okra and tomato curry, okra with coconut, okra in kadai, okra pulusu and also sambar. My grandma takes another step and does bendakaya pachadi( Bendi Chutney). Yes! she does and it tastes heavenly, However I havent done myself, i will ask her and make it sometime soon. But for now you can make my Easy, Spicy And Crunchy Okra Fry. This is my mother in law recipe. This one is not at all sticky and okra pieces stay separate. I know people doesnt like to cook it because of its stickiness., but i have no problem because i know how to work it out. Please click here for tips on cooking okra.

For the fry you can make this velluli karam( coconut and garlic chilli powder ) ahead. Since it stays good for atleast 1 month in refrigerator i make it atonce and use it for aloo, tindora, eggplant and aratikaya(raw plantain) i mean this goes well with any vegetable fry.

How to make velluli karam:

• 2 cups dried grated coconut( unsweetened )
• 1/4 cup red chilli powder
• 2 garlic pods
• less than 1/4 cup salt

In a blender crush the garlic and add all the above and run until everything is belended well. Remove and store in an airtight container.


For the OKRA FRY you need:

• 25 large okras or 45 small okras1 large red onion
• 2 tbsp velluli karam
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp lemon or lime juice
  

For tempuring or tadka you need:(optional)

• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 10 curry leaves
  

How to:

• Chop onions into inch cubes or juliene strips
• Chop okra or bendakaya into 1/2 inch pieces
• In a kadai or pan heat oil and add mustard and cumin seeds( temputing is optional )
• Once they start to pop add curry leaves, chopped onions and chopped okra
• Add lemon or lime juice so that okra wouldnt be sticky
• Keep frying, until okra is crisp golden and cooked
• Once they are browned add velluli miram( said above ) and saute until well blended.
• Adjust miram, salt and spice to taste.
  

Since we added lime juice, the okra wouldnt be sticky at all. This is very crispy and spicy. Serve this bendakaya fry with chapathi, roti or hot rice.

Tags:Bendakaya vellipaya Miram, Bendi Fry, Okra Fry, Okra Garlic And Cocunut Curry