Okra and yoghurt are a common pairing and here is another such recipe, flavoured with mustard oil and red and green chillies. The okra is fried until crisp and then served with the kadhi or yoghurt curry.

It is a typical dish from Odisha. Odia cuisine uses less oil and is less spicy than many other parts of India while nonetheless remaining flavourful. Mustard oil is often used as the cooking medium.

Similar recipes include Sauteed Okra with Ginger and Garlic, Kadhi, Okra and Cumin with Yoghurt Sauce, Ladyfinger Masala, and Kurkuri Bhindi.

Browse all of our Okra dishes and all of our Yoghurt recipes. All of our Indian recipes are here, and our Indian Essentials are here. Or explore our Mid Summer dishes.

Yoghurt Curry (Kadhi) with Okra

ingredients

ghee, Indian Sesame Oil, or vegetable oil for frying

500g okra

rice flour

sea salt

kadhi

1 cup yoghurt

1 Tblspn chickpea flour

2 Tblspn mustard oil

1 onion, chopped

1 green chilli, chopped

0.5 tspn chilli powder, or to taste

0.5 tspn cumin seeds

1 tspn kalonji seeds

0.5 tspn turmeric powder

method

Wash and dry the okra – dry them individually so that they are completely dry. Trip the top of each one and slit them in half vertically.

Heat the oil and while it is heating, prepare your first okra batch. Sprinkle it with a little rice flour and mix well. Fry this okra batch until golden brown and cooked, and remove onto paper towel. While they are cooking, prepare your next batch, and continue until all are cooked. Sprinkle sea salt over the cooked okra.

Now prepare the kadhi. In a bowl, beat together the yoghurt and chickpea flour until smooth.

Heat the mustard oil until it is smoking, then reduce the heat, and add the onion and green chilli. Saute until the onions are tender and translucent. Add the chilli powder, kalonji and turmeric and mix until well mixed.

Add the yoghurt and heat very gently until just under boiling. Cook at this temperature for 4 minutes or until the mixture is smooth and thick.

Serve with the okra, garnished with coriander leaves.

recipe notes and alternatives

Garlic can be added to the yoghurt sauce. Saute with the onions.