Dahi Bhindi / Okra in Yoghurt

I'm sharing today a simple side dish whose main star ingredient is Okra or Bhindi, also known as Ladies Finger and Gumbo to some parts of the World.
Did You Know : The world's two most beautiful women, Cleopatra of Egypt and Yang Guifei of China loved to eat okra according to the history record.
Okra, one of the most beloved vegetable in allover World, is characterized by green color, elongated and tapering ridged pods infused with double row of seeds and slimy texture when cut open. Okra is full of nutrients, contains vitamins A and C and is a good source of iron and calcium. It also contains starch, folic acid, zinc, dietary fiber, thiamine and riboflavin.
Healthy Benefits of Okra :

• Okra is recommended for pregnant women, as it is rich in folic acid, which is essential in the neural tube formation of the fetus between the 4^th and 12^th week of pregnancy.
• The mucilage and fiber found in okra helps adjust blood sugar by regulating its absorption in the small intestine.
• The fiber present in the vegetable helps in maintaining the health of the gastro-intestinal tract.
• It helps absorb water and traps excess cholesterol, metabolic toxins
  
  
  
  
  and surplus bile in its mucilage, slipping it out through the stool.
• Okra is the ideal vegetable for weight loss and is a storehouse of health benefits, provided it is cooked over low flame to retain its properties.
• The vegetable is completely non-toxic, non-habit forming, has no adverse side effects, is full of nutrients, and is economically within reach of most individuals.
• The sodium content of okra is quite high. This is the reason why it is made into tablets, for replenishing sodium deficiency in the body. These tablets are also good for stomach ulcers.
• It contains a vegetable mucin that is soothing to the irritated membranes of the intestinal tract.
• Okra proves beneficial in normalizing blood sugar and cholesterol level in the human body.
• The vegetable is good for asthma. The vitamin C present in it is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, helping curtail the development of asthma symptoms.
• Okra is good for atherosclerosis, and it is also believed to protect some forms of cancer expansion, especially colorectal cancer.
• Some researches have shown that eating okra lowers the risk of cataracts.
• Okra is good for preventing diabetes and protects from skin ailments like pimples and acne.

I'm a huge fan of Okra, I love it in any way it's made, even it's just simple boiled. So I collect all sorts of okra recipe and try it at home. Recently I tried this simple recipe and just loved it...So mouth watering, so I had to share with other Okra loving people. Here goes the recipe.............

Ingredients :

Okra/bhindi : 10-12 pods (cut into 1" pieces)
Onion (medium) : 1(thinly sliced)
Green chillies : 1 to 2(chopped)
Tomato(medium) : 1(Sliced lengthwise)
Onion seeds(kalonji/kala jeera) : 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder : 1-2 tsp.
Red Chilli powder : 1/2-1 tsp.(optional)
Plain Yoghurt/dahi : 1 tblsp.
Oil : 1 tblsp.
Salt to taste
Sugar : 1 tsp.
Fresh coriander leaves : 1 tblsp.(finely chopped)

Method :

• Wash, trim top and tail of okras, and cut into 1" pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan, add onion seeds and chopped green chillies,wait for few seconds, than add sliced onions. Fry onions until it turns golden brown. 
• Reduce heat and add turmeric powder and a pinch of salt to the onions and fry for another 1 minute. Now, add the cut okra pieces, turn the heat to medium-high and stir fry okra for few minutes until they turn lightly golden brown. 
• Now add yoghurt, tomatoes, chilli powder and chopped coriander. Add sugar too. Mix well with the okras, add 1/2 cup water and check the seasoning, cook covered until okras get cooked. Stir time to time to avoid burning. [I kept a little gravy, but it's up to you, you can cook till all water evaporates.]
• Dahi Bhindi is ready to serve.
  
  
  
  
  

This tangy vegetable dish can be served as a side dish with Tarka dal and warm, freshly made chapatis or with any Indian flatbread. Enjoy.........



Reposting my old Okra/Bhindi Recipes for
below mentioned events (these are from my previous blog):
Bhindi Do-Pyaza
Bhindi Posto(Okra/bhindi in poppy seed paste)
Okra/Bhindi in roasted sesame and poppy seed sauce

I'm sending this to following blog events :
BSI : Okra
CWS : Nigella seed 
Veggie/Fruit a month : Okra , hosted by Kiran of Sumadhura and event started by Priya of Mharo rajasthan's recipe
Only Low oil/Low calorie event, started by Pari of Foodelicious and hosted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan's Recipe