Dahi Bhindi | Okra Yogurt Salad

Dahi Bhindi (Okra Yogurt Salad) is a quick, easy-to-make dish featuring crispy okra, creamy yogurt, and spices. A refreshing side dish with steamed rice, roti, chapati, biryani, or pulao.

Also check out our popular okra fry or bhindi masala recipe.

Why you’ll love this recipe?

• Crispy okra with cooling and creamy yogurt.
• Ready in 30 minutes.
• Naturally vegetarian and gluten-free.
• Great for meal-prep.
• Perfect for summer, fasting, upvas, and vrat days.

This dahi wali bindi is also known as okra raita, bhindi raita, bendekayi gojju, bhindi gojju, vendakkai thayir pachadi in different Indian languages.

Ingredients

Okra: also known as bhindi or lady's finger, base of the recipe.

Yogurt: Dahi, curds, or even Greek yogurt will work for this recipe.

Oil: Any cooking oil can be used. We use coconut oil.

Green chilies: For the heat.

For tempering: Mustard seeds, urad dal, red chile, and curry leaves.

Check out the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.

How to cook okra on the stove?

• Wash and pat dry the bhindi (okra). Trim the ends. Cut them into 1-cm-thick pieces.
• In a pan over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, chopped bhindi, and green chilies, and sauté uncovered over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the bhindi is cooked through and slightly charred.
• Now add ½ teaspoon salt, mix, and switch off the flame.

Prepare the tempering

• In a pan on medium flame, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds.
• When they start to splutter, add urad dal, curry leaves, and red chilies, and sauté until the urad dal turns light golden. Switch off the flame.

How to make dahi wali bhindi?

• In a bowl, add yogurt or curds and whisk it for a minute. If it is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoon of water to adjust the consistency.
• Add sautéed bhindi and the prepared tempering, and mix well. Taste-check salt and add if needed.
• Serve immediately and enjoy. If you are serving it later, mix the bhindi with yogurt just before serving.

Tips & Variations

• Instead of adding green chilies to the okra, you can add finely chopped green chilies directly to the yogurt for extra heat.
• If you are not preparing it on fasting or vrat days, you can even add 2 to 3 crushed garlic cloves to the tempering or a pinch of hing (asafoetida). The addition of garlic/hing will enhance the taste of your dish.
• Adjust the yogurt's consistency as desired.
• You can also add ½ finely chopped red onion to the salad. It adds great crunch and flavor.
• Mix yogurt with yogurt only when ready to serve.

Serving suggestions

• Dahi bhindi or okra yogurt salad pairs wonderfully with ghee rice, lemon rice, steamed rice, dalitoy, dal tadka, biryani, or khichdi.
• It can be served with Indian breads such as chapati, roti, aloo paratha, and phulka.
• Also a great accompaniment for grilled dishes like paneer tikka, chicken tikka, etc.

How to prevent bhindi (okra) from turning slimy or sticky?

Always ensure you wash the okra under running water and pat it dry before cutting it to the desired shape and size. The higher the moisture content in okra, the more slimy it will be when cooked. Do not cover the pan. Cook it uncovered. Add salt only at the end when the bhindi is cooked through. Otherwise, it will release water, making it slimy. If, for some reason, okras start turning slimy, add sour agents like tomato, tamarind water, mango powder, lemon juice, or vinegar to prevent them from getting slimy.

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Recipe card

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Note: We originally posted this okra yogurt salad or dahi wali bhindi in June 2022. It has now been modified in July 2026 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.