Sunday, January 06, 2013

Doi Dharosh -- Okra in a spiced yogurt sauce


Doi Dharosh -- Okra in a spiced yogurt sauce

The Bengali Doi Dharosh is mine and my Mom's take on the Dahi Bhindi. In this dish, the gravy is a light yogurt based gravy just like in Doi Maach. Spiced with only whole garam masala and a touch of Garam masala powder it is a delicious dish

Before I wrote this post, I thought twice. Actually several times. Was it okay to start the New Year with something like "Dhyarosh" ? "Dhyarosh", "Bhindi". "Ladies Finger" and now "Okra". After all when a Bengali twists her mouth and utters "Dhyarosh Kothakar",  she is not exactly praising the person she is addressing. It is neither a term of endearment nor of highest praise. She is not really saying that the person is green and slender and really tasty when fried. Instead it is rather a term of disapproval, of disdain and contempt, of  labeling a person as lazy, clumsy and even a nincompoop. Now you know that why I was in two minds to start the first post of new year with "Dharosh".

But then I stood my ground and decided my love for Dhyarosh has not been visible around this blog much so this year that vegetable will get its place of honor. It will sing the opening song...Do-Re-Mi.... I will write paeans about it, maybe a novel, an epic. I have always loved the Dhyarosh in all its slimy-ness and never once thought that the texture was a deterrent to anything. I have loved eaiting it steamed with drizzle of mustard oil mixed wth rice in a dharosh sheddho. I have loved it fried with a squeeze of lime juice in a kurkure bhindi bhaja. I have loved it in a dharosh posto, in dharosh shorshe, in a bhindi masala in a kadhi.



But inspite of all that love I have not been able to cook dharosh that often. Mostly that has been due to issues dealing with buying okra.Until a few years back we did not get very fresh bhindi here and the ones that were available looked so tired that you wouldn't even call them Dharosh. The other issue was the board put out around the Bhindi corner. Its ays "Do not snap" and there is always at least 3 persons standing around doing exactly the same. It is hard to elbow them out and then grab a few of the remaining good bhindis. So I mostly  stayed away.



Since last year however the Indian grocery store I frequent has had reasonably good bhindis, this also meant there wasn't much paparazzi around it. I have been trying to get this veggie home more often. Now the hurdle I face is the kids who do not like its texture and refuse to eat it. I hope that will change some day too and we can be a "Dharosh family" with pride.


Doi Dharosh -- Okra in a spiced yogurt sauce



Doi Dharosh




Now this Doi Bhindi is something I came upon after discussions with my Mother. There are "Dahi Bhindis" and then there is "Doi Bhindi". The latter has a Bong touch with the spices and sauce base similar to the "Doi Maach". It tasted really good. With white rice it was a winner for our lunch yesterday. Did I say the kids still did not eat it ? Oh well.



Wash and pat dry around 20 okra/bhindi/dharosh. The drying is important
Note: When in a rush you can use a pack of frozen whole Baby Bhindi from the Indian stores. Thaw, cut off the end parts and follow the recipe.

Next chop off the head and tip of tail of each okra.

Heat about 1 Tbsp oil in a fry pan . Add the whole okra and pan fry them with a sprinkle of turmeric powder + red chili powder + a pinch of chaat masala. When the okra is soft and almost cooked take it out and keep aside. Sprinkle some salt on the sautéed okra. The okra should nor be fried crisp or too soft.

Meanwhile make a smooth paste of the following
1 small red onion chopped in chunks and sautéed to translucent
2 hot green chilli
1" ginger
1/3 Cup yogurt
2 Tbsp cashew


Heat little more oil in the same fry pan.

Temper the oil with 1 bay leaf, 2 green cardamom, 2 clove and 1" stick of cinnamon.

When the whole spices sizzle, lower the heat and add the paste you just made. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp Kashmiri Mirch and at low heat cook the masala for 3-4 minutes. Now add 1/2 Cup water at room temperature and let the gravy come to a simmer. Add little more water if dry.

Next add the sauteed okra to the pan and mix with masala. Add salt to taste, little sugar and let it simmer. Once the okra is done and the gravy is clinging, taste and adjust for seasonings. Sprinkle Garam Masala powder.

Serve with roti or rice

45 comments:

  1. I love you even more now! Bhindi is my favorite vegetable. I've never made it like this and so now, I have to! Happy New Year to you and yours, and may it be filled with dharosh because, gosh, it's the best veggie out there! Hugs!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Manisha. Avery Happy New year to you too. It is bhindi kadhi today

      Delete
  2. Happy New Year! Sandeepa.

    I like okra when it is fried with onions to crisp. The other day a friend ordered okra with shrimp paste at a Malaysian restaurant. It was fantastic actually, I would never have taken the leap and ordered it.

    Anyway I have never tasted it with yogurt so I got to give it a chance and I am sure I will like it too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Malaysian okra with shrimp paste ? Now that is something. BTW I have also seen a mutton with okra dish, not tasted it yet

      Delete
  3. Never tasted "doi bhindi" before. Will definitely try it. I also want to add that I have had 'bhindi do pyaza' in a potluck. That is also a nice dish with "dharosh" :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes Bhindi Do Pyaza is very good too with lots of onion

      Delete
  4. i simply love dherosh... :) very nice..
    http://from-a-girls-mind.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  5. I am like you, I can eat it in any form. The dhNyarosh sedhdho is my most favorite one. But I try to make them dry, just to avoid the slimy gravy which never leaves my fingers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Me too ,me to. Have not had the sheddho for a long time, only I like it in that form

      Delete
  6. Very healthy.love the pics.

    Did you get a chance to check the website www.ezedcal.com/ta to manage editorial calendar easily for your blog and show your editorial calendar in your blog easily (optional)
    Thanks & Regards
    Malar

    ReplyDelete
  7. where is the recipie of paste & when i will mix yogurt?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rubana, the step where I say make a smooth paste with onion, yogurt etc.

      Delete
  8. This looks nice. I've been wanting interesting recipes for okra because we are bored of the regular dry okra! This one is worth trying.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This does not ahve too much gravy but is not dry either. Try it

      Delete
  9. I love love love Bhindi but it is very difficult to get fresh bhindi here in Perth. Would have to try this with some frozen Bhindi.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Frozen bhindi I don't have much faith on. Tried it a few times and then gave it up

      Delete
  10. My fav one......always love greens. Perfectly made doi dhyaros.

    today's recipe:
    http://sanolisrecipies.blogspot.in/2013/01/roasted-eggplant-with-tomato-begun.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sanoli. A very Happy new year to you

      Delete
  11. Once tasted the okra with yogurt liked it. We are lucky to live in CA, we get okra fresh and slender.
    Here people are breaking the ridge gourd also to taste the bitterness.
    Happy New Year to you and Your family!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Okra was never my fav veggie when i was younger but then later i started liking them i have had with coconut milk but never with youghurt, looks so good

    ReplyDelete
  13. My pet peeve...people breaking off the bhindi heads! I make a similar bhindi often. I also discovered if I add a sprinkle of vinegar to the bhindis while frying prevents them becoming slimy. Always learning ......

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Neat trick Poornima. The patting dry seems to help in my problem.

      Delete
  14. Sheshe dhyarosh!!! :)

    Actually dhyarosh is one of the simpler vegetables for non-vegetarians. I buy it once a week for my office lunch. Problem is that it requires quite a bit of oil right? Gets slimy ootherwise

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kalayan

      Bhindi fry etc. requires oil but in recipes like this I do not fry it kurkure, just saute so oil is pretty less.

      Dhyarosh i bote. A very Happy new year to you and K

      Delete
  15. Why does it sound like a Parsi word to me, the Dhyarosh

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can be also "Farsi", or even "Arshad Warsi" ;-)

      Delete
  16. lovely recipe. I will cook this and put in my blog too.. and will ofcourse credit you... you are the best of best!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Sandeepa,

    ajke barite dhyarosh hobe...doi dhyarosh!!
    janabo kemon holo...
    ;-)
    cheers,
    d

    ReplyDelete
  18. You are my bong cooking savior! I am a non bong married to a bong. Mom in law is in India so at odd times I impress him through your blog ;) He loves bhindi and I am sure this will be a hit!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks AMItra. Really appreciate your lovely comment

      Delete
  19. Hey BongMom,

    I made this yesterday, and it turned out tasty. I am not an okra fan but this was lip smacking. Thank you!

    Priyanka

    ReplyDelete
  20. @Sandeepa: important announcement!!!
    Dhyarosh turned out to be very tasty......
    arigatou gozaimasu!!
    ;-)

    d

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dayeeta. Tel tao kom lage eiaty, tomar ki mone hoy ?
      Mogadishu tishu bole gaalagali dile naki !!!! :-D

      Delete
  21. Happy New Year San! I love okra, in any way it is made! There are some malu yogurt based recipes I make and now I have to try this.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Happy New Year to you, the little one and the Dad too. Mallu recipes ? will search for them

      Delete
  22. My husband hates bhindi...and i love them...and hence they are never cooked in my house :( . I will try this one...who knows he might actually like it!

    Regards,
    B

    ReplyDelete
  23. Dear Sandeepa'di, any chance you've made a non-peyaj version of this? I was thinking of maybe adding some little ginger-garlic paste instead, and hing with the tempering. What would you advise?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kuntala, skip the onion. Instead make the paste with ginger, garlic, chilli, yogurt and cashew. I am not sure how Hing will go in this dish though. Are you thinking like the Kashmiri rogan josh? Let me know if you use Hing and like it.

      Delete
    2. Thankyouuu, will do this. Kashmiri rogan josh - na baba, my cooking is really not so advanced :( I usually have added hing tempering to some non-peyaj-roshun niramish dishes (daal, jeera alu etc) so was thinking on those lines. I'm planning this over the weekend, will def. keep you posted if I end up using hing and how that was. Also, I'm a bigger fan of begun so might just make doi begun instead of doi bhindi - let me know pls if that's a big no-no i.e. just plain switching the veggies?

      Once again, thanks tonsss :)

      Delete
  24. Is there any substitute of cashew? I don't have it and planning to make this for dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I think roasted peanuts will also do since they are similar in taste

    ReplyDelete

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