Okra (Bhindi) Curry with Gram flour (Besan)

I had posted another recipe of Okra Curry earlier. This one is different, this is how my mom used to make and I love it !!




Ingredients:



4 cups plain yogurt


4 cups water


1/2 cup besan


One bag of frozen Okra (16 oz) or 2 cups of fresh okra cut


1 yellow onion chopped


2 green chillies


Few sprigs of fresh curry leaves


2 teaspoon garlic ginger paste


3 tablespoon vegetable oil


1-2 bay leaves


2-4 dry red chili pepper pods


1 teaspoon black mustard seeds


1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds


1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds


1/4 teaspoon asefetida (hing)


3 tables spoon of lemon juice


3/4 teaspoon turmeric powder


1 teaspoon crushed red pepper


1 tablespoon coriander powder


1 tablespoon cumin powder


1 tablespoon Amchoor (mango powder)


1 teaspoon ground black pepper


Salt to taste (~ 3 teaspoon)


1/4 cup Chopped cilantro leaves





Method:


* Mix water and yogurt and hand churn or blend it to smooth buttermilk.


* Add Besan (gram flour) hand churn or whisk it until all the lumps are gone.


* Add all the spices and 2 teaspoon salt, some of the curry leaves and one green slit chili to this besan buttermilk mixture and set aside.


* Heat oil in a frying pan.


* When heated add cumin seed, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds, when these crackle and become light brown add asefetida, dry red pepper pods and bay leaves.


* Add chopped onion, garlic ginger mix and saute until onions are translucent.


* Add some of the curry leaves and slit green chilies, mix well.


* Add thawed or fresh cut okra and 1 teaspoon of salt.


* Saute on medium-high, you will see the okra becoming sticky, don't worry keep cooking with occasional stir until all the stickiness of okra is gone.


* Add lemon juice and saute some more so the okra is not sticky at all. (total time about 5 min)


* Add the buttermilk besan and all the spice mix and stir to mix well.


* Turn the head down to medium - low.


* Cook for 10-12 min with stirring in between (constant supervision is required as the curry may boil over if don't stir in between)


* Cook until curry is smooth and no taste of flour upon tasting and the fenugreek seeds become soft to touch.


* The curry with thicken a little compared to what you started with.


* Garnish with chopped cilantro.


* Serve hot over plain white cooked warm Basmati rice.



Hints:


You can substitute Okra with any other vegetable like chopped spinach, or sauteed eggplant or boiled potato cubes, peas or any vegetable that you like.

You can modify the spices and salt according to your taste. This is not a very spicy curry.








Photographs by Surekha.

Recipe modified by Surekha from a recipe by her mom Mrs. Kasturben S.

Thank you Mommy :)