This bhindi raita is the perfect side dish for your pulao or everyday Indian meal. You’ll love the crispy, pan-fried, thinly sliced okra that is added to the spiced yogurt.
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❤️About This Recipe
Easy to make: Just like any other raita recipe, this bhindi raita is super simple to make. Cook the okra, cool slightly and add it to chilled, whisked yogurt.
Perfect for the summer season: Yogurt gives a cooling effect to your body hence it is mostly consumed in the summer season or hot weather days.
Taste & Texture: Mildly spiced, creamy yogurt with crispy, crunchy okra slices (if served right away). After storing okra gets soft and soggy, but still delicious.
Scalable: You can easily double, triple or halve the bhindi raita recipe as needed. You may need to cook the okra in batches if making a bigger batch.
🧾Ingredient Notes
Here is the pic of the ingredients needed to make this delicious, refreshing bhindi raita or okra raita.
Okra: I prefer to use desi okra that I buy from the Indian grocery store. The one you get in the American grocery store has thick skin and big seeds which I don’t like.
Yogurt: I always use homemade yogurt as it is super easy to make at home. But any store-bought plain yogurt works too.
Black salt (kala namak): It adds a nice zing to the okra raita. There is no substitute for this ingredient. If you don’t have it then skip it.
Roasted cumin powder: To make it at home, dry roast the cumin seeds until aromatic and they get a nice golden brown color. Let it cool down and grind into a powder using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
1) Cut and discard the head and tail of the okra. Then slice them thinly and diagonally. In between the slicing process if the knife gets sticky then wipe it down with a paper towel to avoid the sticky mess later on.
2) Heat the oil in a wide pan. Once hot add okra and spread them event in almost a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan. If needed fry them in 2 batches.
3) Keep moving them and fry until they get crisp and golden brown in color. As okra gets cooked, it shrinks and gets darker in color.
4) Remove them to a plate and while it is still warm sprinkle the red chili powder on it. Let the okra cool down completely. Repeat the same frying process for the second batch.
5) Take yogurt in a bowl and whisk it until it becomes smooth.
6) Add salt, black salt, black pepper powder and roasted cumin powder. Mix it really well. Keep this yogurt mixture chilled in the refrigerator.
7) At the time of serving add fried okra and chopped cilantro into the chilled yogurt.
8) Mix and serve right away. As time passes, okra will start to soften and lose its crispness.
💭Expert Tips
- Bhindi raita tastes best when served chilled. So always use chilled yogurt.
- Add fried okra to the yogurt right before serving, so okra retains its crispness.
- Make-ahead instructions: Fry okra, sprinkle chili powder and keep it ready. Whisk the yogurt and spices together and store in the refrigerator. At the time of serving, combined yogurt and fried okra, serve immediately.
🍽 Serving Ideas
- Serve bhindi raita with any rice dish like veg pulao or veg biryani.
- It can be served as a side dish with your everyday Indian meal that consists of roti, dal, rice, etc.
- It can be served with paratha like methi paratha, broccoli paratha, aloo paratha, etc as a breakfast or meal.
Check Out Other Raita Recipes
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📋 Recipe Card
Bhindi Raita (Okra Raita)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 cup Okra (Bhindi) thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 cup Plain yogurt (dahi or curd), Chilled
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon Roasted cumin powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon Black salt (Kala namak)
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro or coriander leaves finely chopped
Instructions
- Cut and discard the head and tail of the okra. Then slice them thinly and diagonally. In between the slicing process if the knife gets sticky then wipe it down with a paper towel to avoid the sticky mess later on.
- Heat the oil in a wide pan. Once hot add okra and spread them event in almost a single layer. Do not overcrowd the pan. If needed fry them in 2 batches.
- Keep moving them and fry until they get crisp and golden brown in color. As okra gets cooked, it shrinks and gets darker in color.
- Remove them to a plate and while it is still warm sprinkle the red chili powder on it. Let the okra cool down completely. Repeat the same frying process for the second batch.
- Take yogurt in a bowl and whisk it until it becomes smooth.
- Add salt, black salt, black pepper powder and roasted cumin powder. Mix it really well. Keep this yogurt mixture chilled in the refrigerator.
- At the time of serving add fried okra and chopped cilantro into the chilled yogurt. Mix and serve right away.
Notes
- Bhindi raita tastes best when served chilled. So always use chilled yogurt.
- Add fried okra to the yogurt right before serving, so okra retains its crispness.
- Make-ahead instructions: Fry okra, sprinkle chili powder and keep it ready. Whisk the yogurt and spices together and store in the refrigerator. At the time of serving, combined yogurt and fried okra, serve immediately.
Nirav
nice accompany with pulav.
thanks,
Kanan
Yes it is!!!