Indian Crispy Bhindi (Okra) Raita
Posted By Savita
Sharing with you, crispy okra (Indian name: Bhindi), fried and coated in special blend of homemade seasoning, to make a flavorful and an easy yogurt side dish: Bhindi Raita!
I'm sure you like Okra in Gumbos and even fried with cajon spices....... but, even if you don't like Okra, this spiced yogurt raita with crispy okra will make you fall in love with it!
Today, I also have a delicious news to share:
My one more recipe published in Magazine!!!
Yesterday, one of my Indian Recipe: Curried Cauliflower, was published in Summer edition of Low Sugar Living Magazine. I'm really excited to share the picture with you! Coming soon!
Now, back to my Crispy Bhindi (Okra) Raita :)
Crispy Bhindi Raita is very self-sufficient yogurt side. You don't need a big plate filled of Indian food to enjoy this side dish!. My family enjoys it just with plain steamed Basmati Rice or Indian Roti. The crispy and crunchy okra and chilled creamy yogurt, give very good textural contrast to this raita which really needs nothing else! It is safe to say, this side dish can be a lite and delicious main course as well!!
Really, once you try it, you cannot stop eating!!
Other than vegetables (cucumber, okra, tomatoes, onions etc) added to raita, the key to make a flavorful Indian Raita is Raita Masala (Seasonings)!
Masala (spice mix or seasoning) has lot of variations in Indian cuisine. Even though referred as "masala" in general..... a masala actually can have N variations.... as many as number of curries eaten in India! I mean, a LOT!
We even like to spice up, I mean, add masala in our everyday yogurt side. So, I thought to share here, a quick recipe, to make raita masala from scratch. Not hot spicy version.... yet very flavorful and easy, everyday Raita Masala.
This Raita Masala is combination of very commonly used Indian spices and gives LOTS of flavor to Raita.
At home mostly, I toast fresh cumin seeds to make toasted cumin powder for raita masala. (fresh toasted cumin has lot more flavor.) You are most welcome to toast fresh seeds or use powder, whichever is easily available to you.
Even if you don't have all ingredients to make raita masala, juts try adding a little crushed roasted cumin to your next Yogurt Dip or Raita and you will know, how much flavor it adds!
We eat a lot of Okra in my home. Specially curried okra or spiced okra. I know, some people find it slimy and sticky. However, if okra is cooked: fried or baked, for right amount of time, you can get word's best tasting crispy okra! Sometimes back, I shared Oven Baked Okra Fries recipe. Trust me, friends, Okra Fries were more crunchy that deep-fried potato fries!
For this raita, however, I decided to almost shallow fry bhindi(okra). Thing is, for crispy bhindi raita, I cut okra very thin to have it's taste in every bite. This small size don't need oven to get crispy. Rather I have doubts that it might disappear in oven, before getting crispy :)
To get that crispy texture with less oil..... I use few tbsp oil and a wide pan so that bhindi slices touch the surface of pan and get crispy in less oil. For sure, NO need to take-out whole fryer, full of oil, for this recipe. (PS: Don't judge me picture of step with small pan in recipe instructions. I was really short-on-time to serve dinner, when I took this clicks in small pan!)
This is a delightfully interesting week for Chef De Home. Few of my recipes have made to BuzzFeed, CommuntiyTable, and one of my Indian Recipe has been published in Low Sugar Living Magazine. Really enjoying it! Thanks all you friends for your support and encouragement.
I hope you like this little taste of Masala Cuisine from Indian side of my Kitchen! Enjoy your day - Savita x
A few Indian curries, to enjoy a complete Indian Dinner, at home!
Ingredients
- Raita Masala
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder (toasted seeds, ground, divided)
- 1 tsp Chaat Masala (divided)
- 1 tsp Salt (divided)
- 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Powder (paprika or lal mirch, divided)
- 1/4 tsp Black Salt (Kala Namak, divided)
- 1/2 tbsp Sugar (optional)
- Crispy Bhindi (Okra) Raita
- 8-10 Okra (bhindi, 1 cup sliced (read instructions))
- 2 Cup Yogurt (non-fat, plain yogurt (dahi))
- Canola Oil (for frying)
Directions
-
1. Wash and pat dry bhindi(okra) using a paper or clean kitchen towel. It should be fully dry. Then slice into thin round pieces. Additional Notes:
It is important to slice bhindi thin or it will not get good crispy when fried. -
2. Divide all spices listed above into two equal parts. One part will be used to season fried okra and second to season yogurt to make raita. Set aside. -
3. In a medium bowl, add yogurt and whisk it to make lump-free and smooth. You can use 1-2 tbsp water if yogurt appears to be thick. Add half of the seasoning into yogurt, mix well, and set aside. -
4. Heat few tbsp oil in a small frying/saute pan ( to get 1/2 to max 1 inch layer of oil). Add sliced okra and fry for 2-3 minutes. If pan is small, fry in two batches. Additional Notes:
You can also use deep pan, I prefer to shallow fry it in less oil in small pan. Or use a non-stick wide pan with 2 tbsp oil. Remember, you don't need to use a whole lot oil to fry sliced okra. -
5. Once okra starts turning crispy and brown at edges, remove from fryer to a plate lined with paper towel. Sprinkle remaining spices (masala mix), divided in step 2, and mix gently to distribute spices evenly. Additional Notes:
For max flavor, add masala while okra is hot, just out of fryer. -
6. Add half of the fried okra into yogurt and mix well. Keep the second half on side and add it to raita just before serving. This way t will add crunchy and crispy surprise in raita! Enjoy!
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