Bendakaya fry recipe with step by step photos. This is a tempered and sauteed dry dish made with okra, onions and spices. Simple and comforting recipe of okra made in Andhra style. It makes for a healthy and satisfying meal when paired with chapati, raita or a simple meal of sambar and rice.
Bendakaya fry or Bendakaya vepudu translates to okra fry. Don’t get misled by the word fry. Here the word ‘fry’ does not mean deep frying. But sauteing the okra until it is perfectly cooked. Besides okra the other ingredients are also sauteed.
There are different versions of making this Andhra style okra fry. What I am sharing is the simplest version. I have already shared a few more versions of bhindi fry like:
- Bhindi Fry
- Kurkuri bhindi
- Ladies finger fry – North Indian style.
Most of the stir fry recipes made with veggies are easy and quick to make. So is this recipe which is not spicy and tastes good. In this dish, some roasted sesame powder or roasted peanuts can be added. Even fresh grated coconut can be also added.
This bendakaya vepudu can be served hot or warm as a side dish with Sambar, Rasam or dal. You can also have it with chapati or paratha. With some soft chapatis, this Andhra recipe of bendakaya fry also makes for a good tiffin box brunch or lunch.
How to make Bendakaya Fry
1. Rinse and wipe dry 250 grams bendakaya (okra or bhindi) with a clean kitchen towel. Then slice the bendakaya into rounds of 0.5 to 0.75 inches. Keep aside.
Before chopping make sure that there is no water or moisture on the okra pods. They should be thoroughly dried. Also the okra should be green and tender.
250 grams bendakaya gives about 2 heaped cups of chopped bendakaya.
2. in a shallow frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. Lower the heat and add the following ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram)
3. Saute till the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turns golden.
4. Next add 2 dry red chilies (broken and deseeded). Saute for a second or two till the red chilies change color. Instead of red chilies you can also add slit or chopped 1 to 2 green chilies.
5. Then add ½ cup chopped onion.
6. Stir and mix well.
7. Saute the onions till they turn translucent stirring often on low heat.
8. Then add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chilli powder and a pinch of asafoetida (hing). For a more spicy taste, you can add 1 teaspoon red chili powder.
9. Stir and mix the spice powders with the rest of the ingredients.
Making bendakaya fry
10. Add the chopped bendakaya and 8 to 10 curry leaves.
11. Stir and mix everything.
12. Add salt as per taste.
13. Stir and mix well again and saute on a low heat without covering the pan with a lid.
14. Keep on stirring at intervals of 3 to 4 minutes for uniform and even cooking.
15. Switch off the heat when the bendakaya is done and cooked well. This takes about 12 to 14 minutes on a low heat.
16. Garnish with coriander leaves and then Serve bendakaya vepudu hot as a side dish with curd-rice, sambar-rice or rasam-rice. You can also serve it with chapati or plain paratha.
It can also be packed for a lunch box with a side of soft roti or paratha.
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bendakaya fry
Ingredients
- 250 grams okra (bhindi or lady finger or bendakaya) or 2 heaped cups of chopped bhindi
- 2 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon urad dal (split husked black gram)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 dry red chilies – broken and deseeded
- 8 to 10 curry leaves
- 1 medium onion or ½ cup chopped onion
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- pinch asafoetida (hing)
- salt as required
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves) for garnish
Instructions
Chopping okra
- Rinse and wipe dry okra (bendakaya) with a clean kitchen towel.
- Then slice the okra in rounds of 0.5 to 0.75 inches. Before chopping the okra make sure that it is completedly dried and there is no moisture on them. After chopping the okra keep them aside.
Making masala for bendakaya fry
- In a shallow frying pan, heat oil. Lower the heat and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and urad dal (split and husked black gram).
- Saute till the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turns golden. Make sure you don't burn them.
- Next add 2 dry red chilies (broken and deseeded). Saute for a second or two till the red chilies change color.
- Then add chopped onion. Stir and saute the onions till they turn translucent. stirring often on low heat.
- Next add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).
- Mix the spice powders with the rest of the ingredients.
Making bendakaya fry
- Then add the chopped okra and 8 to 10 curry leaves. Stir and mix everything.
- Add salt according to taste. Stir well again and saute on a low heat without covering the pan with a lid.
- Keep on stirring at intervals of 3 to 4 minutes for uniform cooking.
- Switch off the heat when the okra is done and cooked well. This takes about 12 to 14 minutes on a low heat.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and then serve bendakaya fry as a side dish with curd-rice, sambar-rice or rasam-rice. You can also serve it with chapatis.
Notes
- This recipe can be scaled up to make for more servings.
- Use fresh and tender okra pods. Avoid fibrous, dense and chewy okra.
- You can use any neutral-flavored oil to make this recipe.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Bendakaya Fry Post from the blog archives, first published in December 2015 has been republished and updated on December 2022.
For 1/2 kg bhindi , do I have to double all the ingredients like onion, chillli, salt etc.
Not just for this recipe, I’m asking in general…for all ur recipes if I take half kg of vegetable do I have to double all the ingredients that go in??
for this recipe, you can double the ingredients. but it may not work for all the recipes. reason being recipes like curries, gravies, biryanis are complex in terms of flavors, textures and taste. so the method of andaaz (approximation) is used. for these recipes, spice powders or spices can go awry when doubled or tripled and will unbalance the entire dish. hope this helps.
yum! loved it and it was so easy
Skipped the curry leaves because i didn’t have them stocked at the time. And yet the dish turned out pretty good. Simple and tasty. Thanks.
Welcome Nilanjana. Nice to know this.
Nice recipe.. thankq 🙂
Welcome Sucherita
Supper fast & very easy…:) 🙂
thanks 🙂