Name: BHINDI MASALA / SPICY OKRA
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: Oil; 200 g Bhindi/Okra – washed and wiped with a cloth or a kitchen towel. Chop into big pieces when completely dry.; ½ tsp Cumin seeds; 2 Onions- sliced; 1 ½ tsp Coriander powder; 1 Chilli powder; ½ tsp Haldi/Turmeric powder; ½ tsp Garam masala powder; 1 ½ tsp Ginger garlic and chilli crushed; 1 medium Tomato- chopped; Coriander leaves- for garnish; Salt to taste; In a non-stick pan, drizzle some oil and fry the bhindi till light brown and keep aside.; In the same pan pour around 1-2 tblsp oil and when the oil is hot put the cumin seeds and once it starts to splutter add the onions and fry till it turns translucent.; Add the powders and ginger garlic and chilli mix. Sauté for around 2-3 minutes. Then add the tomato and fry well.; Lastly add the fried bhindi and salt mix well. Stir-fry on medium flame and keep tossing in between. Add the coriander leaves and switch off flame. Serve hot with bidari paratha or puri.

DifficultyBeginner

Prep Time15 minsCook Time25 minsTotal Time40 mins

I have said before, that bhindi / okra is one of the commonly cooked vegetables at home. Everyone likes it, and it is always a good addition to a whole Indian meal. Since it is such a versatile vegetable, you can cook it in several different ways. And if you are not a big fan of bhindi by itself as a vegetarian dish, you could always dunk in a handful in meat stews, soups or sambar simply for its health benefits.

Yields2 Servings

Ingredients

Oil

200 g Bhindi/Okra – washed and wiped with a cloth or a kitchen towel. Chop into big pieces when completely dry.

½ tsp Cumin seeds

2 Onions- sliced

1 ½ tsp Coriander powder

1 Chilli powder

½ tsp Haldi/Turmeric powder

½ tsp Garam masala powder

1 ½ tsp Ginger garlic and chilli crushed

1 medium Tomato- chopped

Coriander leaves- for garnish

Salt to taste

Directions in a nutshell

In a non-stick pan, drizzle some oil and fry the bhindi till light brown and keep aside.

In the same pan pour around 1-2 tblsp oil and when the oil is hot put the cumin seeds and once it starts to splutter add the onions and fry till it turns translucent.

Add the powders and ginger garlic and chilli mix. Sauté for around 2-3 minutes. Then add the tomato and fry well.

Lastly add the fried bhindi and salt mix well. Stir-fry on medium flame and keep tossing in between. Add the coriander leaves and switch off flame. Serve hot with bidari paratha or puri.

Directions

Here is another commonly prepared dish in India – bhindi masala. I am sure everyone cooks it their own way, some with more spices, some with less; and surely everyone chops their okra differently! I made this a while ago along with the Bidari paratha. It has been pending since. The combination was simple and delicious. It also goes well with roti, rice and dal.

Firstly ensure that you have good fresh okra. I have explained method to select good Okras here…
Wash them thoroughly and let it dry completely before you begin to chop them. His helps in avoiding the sticky mess. You can pat them dry with a cloth or kitchen towel.
Drizzle some oil in a pan and fry the bhindi till lightly browned on some sides.

Remove the okra from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, heat some more oil and throw in some cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add the chopped onions.

Add the chilli, turmeric, coriander and garam masala powder. Mix well. Add crushed ginger, garlic and red chili. Saute for 2-3 minutes

Add chopped tomato and fry till the tomato is soft.

Lastly add the fried bhindi and salt, mix well and cook for a 1- 2 minutes. Okra cooks fast. A good stir and couple of minutes is more than enough. Check if you are comfortable with the bite, or you can let it fry for a few more seconds.

Ingredients

Oil