Dahi Bhendi/Okra Masala

Recipe from Edible Garden

Note: The ingredients seem many - the process is simple.  Like I read some place. The trick is to keep ingredients ready ( mise en place [MEEZ ahn plahs] which is a French term referring to having all the ingredients necessary for a dish prepared and ready to combine up to the point of cooking. Or just pretend you are giving a cookery demo instead of running around at the last moment.

Ingredients:
Bhendi - 200 gms - washed, dried, and diced

Onion - 1 large
Tomato paste - 1 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Curd ( yogurt) - 1 cup - beaten well
Coconut - 1 small piece - to yield about 20 gms grated coconut flakes
Almonds - 8 nos ( soak in warm milk for atleast 10 mins) - Original recipe called for cashew
Kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves ) - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Chilie powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Dry mango powder (amchur) - 1/2 tsp
Dhania/coriander powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin (jeera) - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Dry red chilies - 2
Asofetida / hing - pinch
Curry leaves - few
Oil

The Process

In a wok, heat the oil
Fry the bhendi till crisp and keep aside.

Grind the almonds and coconut to fine paste.

Heat oil in a wok
Add mustard, allow to pop
Add cumin, urad, red chilies, hing, curry leaves - till the dal browns a bit
Now add the chopped onions and sauté till golden
Mix in the dry powders of garam masala, turmeric, dhania, chile powder, amchur, kasuri methi
Sauté for a few minutes
Add the ground paste and the tomato paste too. 
Here you can pour in half to one cup of water for the gravy to form and simmer.
Add the beaten curd and continue to allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes.
Check for consistency of gravy, you may add a little more water if you feel it is too thick.
Add the fried bhendi.
Blend into the gravy.
Remove from fire. Serve.

We had it with Gujarati Kichidi.