Bharli Bhendi
When it comes to bhindi or lady’s finger/okra, I’ve usually seen that there’s a 50-50 division between people liking it and the ones not liking it. If you ask me, I love this vegetable. Yes, cleaning and chopping it with its slime gets a little tedious. But once it is cooked into a sabzi or fried, it’s simply sumptuous. One such dish is this Bharli Bhendi or tender okras stuffed with a typical Marathi style spiced coconut-peanut mixture. This is one of those Bhindi Recipes, which does take some time to prepare, yet is tasty. It is vegan too.
About Bharli Bhendi
Bharli Bhendi is a famous dry okra recipe from the cuisine of Maharashtra and this one especially, was shared with me by my friend. In Marathi language, the word ‘bharli’ means ‘stuffed’ and ‘bhendi’ is ‘bhindi or okra.’ Hence, the name.
Alongwith okra (bhindi), many other veggies like capsicum (Shimla mirch), potato, bitter gourd, brinjal, pointed gourd (parwal), apple gourd (tinda), large green chilies (mirchi), etc. are used to make ‘bharwan’ or ‘bharli’ dishes in Indian cuisine. These simply mean that the veggies can be stuffed with a spice mixture, grated paneer or even minced meat mixtures. Some of these variations that I have shared on the blog are:
If you love having stuffed bhindi or okra as a veggie in general as well, then along with this Bharli Bhendi of Maharashtrian cuisine, you should also try the North Indian style Bharwa Bhindi recipe. The major difference between the 2, apart from being from different regional cuisines is that the Punjabi style stuffed bhindi is a no onion, no garlic version.
In addition to this Bharli Bhendi, another personal favorite is this Bharli Vangi recipe which is simply Maharashtrian style stuffed brinjals. With some similarities in the spices and spice powders plus the addition of garlic and coconut, the flavors of the stuffed vangi is quite distinct than the stuffed bhendi. However, this preparation is also vegan.
This one’s a simple and fuss-free recipe, as cooking of the okra hardly tales any time. The time that goes is in the preparation and stuffing of the recipe. Yet is fairly easy to make.
This Bharli Bhendi recipe uses goda masala. But if you do not have goda masala, then just skip it and add garam masala powder instead.
Fresh coconut, coarsely ground roasted peanuts and spices is what forms the stuffing mixture for this recipe. You can use desiccated coconut instead of fresh coconut too. Garlic and fresh coriander leaves used in this recipe impart an exciting flavor of pungency and freshness to the stuffing.
Bharli Bhendi goes very well as a side dish with chapattis, parathas and even bread. You can also serve it along with Maharashtrian Varan Bhaat, North Indian dal-rice or South Indian Curd Rice.
How to make Bharli Bhendi
Preparation
1. Heat a pan and add ¼ cup peanuts.
2. On low heat, roast the peanuts till crunchy and golden. Keep aside and allow to cool.
3. Rinse 20 to 22 medium size okra (bhindi) in running water for a couple of times. Then, dry them with a clean kitchen towel or naturally by spreading them on a plate.
4. Slice off the crown and base tip of the okra. With a knife, give a slit on one side keeping about 0.5 to 1 cm space at the top and base. The okra should be intact. Make slits on every okra piece and keep aside.
Preparing stuffing
5. In a grinder jar, add the roasted peanuts along with 1 chopped green chili, 2 to 3 chopped garlic cloves and ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves.
6. Without adding water, coarsely grind and keep this mixture aside.
7. In a plate or mixing bowl, take the ground mixture along with ¼ cup tightly packed grated fresh coconut, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, 2 teaspoons goda masala (or ½ teaspoon garam masala powder), ½ teaspoon lime or lemon juice, ½ teaspoon sugar or jaggery and salt as per taste.
8. Mix the ingredients very well with a spoon or with your hands. Check the taste and add more of salt, sugar, lemon juice or spice powders, if required.
9. Now, stuff this mixture inside each okra. Stuff well.
10. Stuff the masala in each okra and keep aside. There will be some leftover masala which we will use later.
Making Bharli Bhendi
11. In a frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons oil and crackle ½ teaspoon mustard seeds first. Use a shallow frying pan and not a deep one.
12. Lower the heat, then add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).
13. Stir very well and then add the stuffed okra pieces.
14. Stir the okra well.
15. Now, cover the pan tightly with a lid and cook Bharli Bhendi on low heat. If you want, you can sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons water at this step before covering the pan.
16. Check in between and if the mixture looks dry or getting too browned, then sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons water all over and stir. Cover and continue to cook.
17. When the okra is half done, add the leftover stuffing masala.
18. Stir. Sprinkle some water, if required. Cover and cook.
19. It takes about 15 to 18 minutes for the bhindi to cook on low heat. When cooked, this is a dry sabzi. So, there should be no water in the okra.
20. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve Bharli Bhendi with chapattis or as a side dish with dal-rice, amti dal or varan.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to rinse the okra well. Use a clean kitchen towel to dry or spread them on a plate for drying them naturally.
- Prepare the okra pieces by slicing off the crown and base tip. Keeping the okra intact, slit on one side keeping about 0.5 to 1 cm space at the top and base.
- Ensure that you are not adding any water to grind the stuffing masala.
- Reserve the leftover stuffing masala. This is added while cooking the stuffed okra pieces while in the frying pan.
- While cooking the stuffed okras, if it turns dry or is too browned, sprinkle about 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Then, stir, cover and cook further.
- Alternatives: Garam masala powder in place of goda masala and jaggery in place of sugar.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
main ingredients
- 200 grams okra (bhindi or bhendi or lady finger) or 20 to 22 small to medium sized okra
- 3 tablespoon oil for sauteing okra
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- a few chopped coriander leaves for garnish
(cilantro leaves)
stuffing masala (to be ground coarsely)
- 2 to 3 garlic chopped + ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves + ¼ cup roasted peanuts + 1 green chili, chopped
other ingredients to be added in the stuffing masala
- ¼ cup tightly packed grated coconut or ¼ cup unsweetened desiccated coconut
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder
(ground coriander)
- 2 teaspoon Goda Masala or ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon lime or lemon juice or add as per taste
- ½ teaspoon sugar or powdered jaggery or add as per taste (optional)
- salt as required
Instructions
preparation
- Heat a pan and add 1/4 cup peanuts.
- On a low flame, roast the peanuts till they are crunchy and golden. Keep aside and allow them to cool.
- Rinse 20 to 22 medium sized bhendi (okra or bhindi) in running water for a couple of times.
- Then dry them with a clean kitchen towel or dry them naturally by spreading them in a plate.
- Slice off the crown and base tip of the bhendi. With a knife give a slit on one side. Make slits on all the okra and keep aside.
preparing stuffing for bharli bhendi
- In a grinder jar, add the roasted peanuts along with 1 green chili, 2 to 3 garlic, and 1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves.
- Without adding water coarsely grind and keep this mixture aside.
- In a plate or mixing bowl, take the ground mixture along with 1/4 cup tightly packed grated coconut, 1/2 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, 2 tsp goda masala or 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, 1/2 tsp lime or lemon juice and 1/2 tsp sugar or salt as per taste.
- Mix the stuffing mixture very well.
- Now stuff this mixture in each bhindi very well.
sauteing and making bharli bhendi
- Heat 3 tbsp oil and crackle 1/2 tsp mustard seeds first. Use a shallow frying pan.
- Lower the flame and then add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida.
- Stir very well and then add the stuffed okra. Stir the okra well.
- Now cover the pan tightly with a lid and cook the okra.
- Do check in between and if the mixture looks dry or getting too browned, then sprinkle some water (about 1 to 2 tbsp water). Stir, cover and continue to cook.
- When the okra is half done, add the remaining ground stuffing masala.
- Stir. Sprinkle some water if required. Cover and cook.
- It takes about 15 to 18 minutes for the okra to cook on a low flame. This is a dry okra curry when cooked. So there should be no water in the okra.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve bharli bhendi with chapatis or a side dish with dal-rice or varan-bhat.
Nutrition
This Bharli Bhendi recipe from the archives was first published in May 2015. It has been updated and republished in April 2024.
Lovely recipe.
My husband and i loved this recipe.
Thank you
Thanks for the feedback and the rating.
Very good.
Thanks
awesome recipee. I liked it
my favourite recipe and an all time classic. i have very fond memories and this was the first recipie i ever tried and it turned out to be an instant favorite! Now i make this recipe almost twice a month on popular demand of course ! thank you for preserving the authenticity of maharashtrian cuisine and inspiring people to embrace it!
Welcome Ashira. Glad to read positive feedback from someone who is making this recipe for such a long time. We always share authentic recipes and its an sincere attempt to introduce vegetarian cuisine from all over India.
Thank u soooo much.. I am learning cooking and it is all because of you.. Made this today and my mother in law loved it. I can’t thank you enough for your help. Keep rocking
Welcome Neha. Glad to know this. Thanks for your best wishes.
Wanted to know if we can try the bharli bhindi in the owen or the airfryer.
Also I would like you to share some recipes to do do in the airfryer.
you can prepare in the oven or air fryer. but then the bhindi will become slightly dry. i will try to add some air fryer recipes.
Your all recipes are yummy…I have tried few of them… I am newly married girl and this website helps me a lot while cooking.
Thank you so much! keep posting..:)
thanks a lot ankita. glad to know. wish you all the best for your future.
Hi,tried this recipe..was awesome ,but I fried onion before adding stuffed okra n it tasted good.
pk thanks suprita 🙂
Love it!!!!
Recipe sikhna hai
hi! i love all ur recipes, I have tried quite a few in the past few months. But this particular recipe is one of my favs….my husband being a hardcore non vegetarian its usually a dilemma what to cook for him in veg as he refuses to eat most of the vegetables. but this recipe has come to my rescue. he absolutely loves it and i make it a point to cook it every week. its easy and deliscious. thanx a ton for this one! 🙂
very pleased to know this divya glad your husband liked bharli bhendi recipe. thankyou for your kind words and you are always welcome 🙂
Hi… Had tried this recipe… Does bhindi requires frying before stuffing the mixture. Since after stuffing & then frying lead to little over roast of spicy mixture. As bhindi requires more time to get a fry.
bhindi does not require frying before stuffing the masala. the over roasting won’t happen if the bhindi is cooked on a low flame. also the bhindi needs to be checked often while cooking. thats why water is also sprinkled so that the masala does not get fried too much. for recipes like these you need to tender bhindi as they get cooked quickly.
Hi Daasana..
I love your website soooo much.. My sister to follows your website.. I can’t stop browsing your recipes.. today I tried Aloo 65 and no doubt it turned out so well.. my husband liked it a lot.. Have been looking for nice Bhindi recipe since long time and this looks yummy.. Thanks a lot for sharing such great recipes with all your special tips and of course those fantastic pics.. With your recipes I can always be ready to welcome my guests.. You are a saviour 🙂
welcome nehal. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive review on recipes
Hi Daasana,
Once again Hats off… Came out awesome. Exact replica of the final image u have shown. Pardon me but made just one simple change. I sauted the masala first also added a bit chopped onion in it, and then stuffed in okras. But tastes lovely… Thanku sooo much for being my cooking guru.
more that 5 stars
thanks a lot hetal 🙂 you can always make changes to the recipe. no problem. this way only one learns 🙂
Thank you for such wonderful recipes:) I tried out the eggless bread pudding and bharli bhendi recipe and they turned out to be awesome dishes! The step-by- step pictures were immensely useful. My best wishes for both of you to reach greater heights! Thank you once again for the lovely dishes..
welcome anu. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive feedback and for your best wishes.
Dear Dassana,
I tried this recipe on friday night and it came out extremely well. Bhindi was flavourful and peanut and coconut filling gave a different taste altogether to the curry. Thanks for sharing one more awesome recipe :).
thanks for the positive review apurva and welcome 🙂
Hi
Thanks for all your receipes I am not a regular cook but find all of them so easy to cook. Even tried few receipes like tawa paneer, bhel puri, sev puri, chutneys,followed them step by step. None of them were kitchen disasters.
Just one question in this okra receipe is there any substitute for peanuts I am allergic to that.
thanks vaishali. a variation of this recipe also uses sesame seeds. if you are not allergic to sesame seeds, then you can add 2 tbsp of sesame seeds. roast the sesame seeds and then grind with the rest of the ingredients. you can increase the coconut to 1/3 cup in this scenario.
Bhindi is my favourite & trying it in this way was amazing. I will definately try your other recipes as i love cooking & they way you present them is unique.
Hi dassana, tried this recipe … it was very nice .. also prepared the awesome paneer bhurji gravy along with vengaya sambhar… all three recipes were excellent….. thanks for sharing…
rgds n tk care
marina
welcome marina. glad to know this.
I just love your recipes, follow them blindly. Today tried this bharali bhendi, came out very tasty. Thank you so much for your recipes , they are simple and most important part is ingredients are available at home. Keep up the good work!
thanks vasundhara for the positive review. i do agree whenever we cook, the ingredients must be easily available.
I stuff in the chili garlic paste in the bhindi, but never tried peanuts before.. Looks like a great combination.
thanks farha
Dear dassana ma’am,
You have become an inspiration to all women out there who are new to cooking. I considered myself worst cook but after coming across your blog i have understood what actually cooking is. Your recipes are simple and bring smile on our faces. I have tried infinite amount of recipes from your blog and all turned out to be successful. Thank you ma’am and i really cant thank you enough.
welcome riya. glad to know that recipes are helping you in cooking. thanks a lot for your encouraging feedback.
All your receipes are simply superb
thanks pooja
Your way of step by step recepes is the best. No match. Thanks a lot
welcome pooja
I like most of the recipes on this website , they are really delicious and easy to make . Is it possible to upload a recipe for mixed vegetable kofta curry ?
sanjukta, i will add this recipe. i have noted it down 🙂
Can we make this in otg or microwave?
you can make in an OTG. but i am not sure about microwave. just mix some oil with the stuffed okra and nicely coat them. line them in a baking tray or aluminium foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees celsius. i cannot tell the time as i have not tried. but i do make stuffed capsicum in OTG and so even this recipe can be made.
Too good. Does not look oily at all and the pictures are fabulous 🙂
thanks.
Hi dassana,
M gonna try dis today!!! Keep up the good work!!!!
But I can see in d the pic Dat u have added green chilli as well in the grinder…for d stuffing…
Shud I add it?
thanks. yes i forgot to mention green chili in the recipe. i will add now. yes green chilies are added in the stuffing.
send other recepies
Very good!
It seems you have added green chilli in mixie for grinding.but didnt mention in the receipe.
added now 🙂
Great recipe! I have always wondered what to do with okra…
Hello Dassana, this bhindi recipe looks awesome. I am a huge follower of your blog and after gaining inspiration from you guys I started food blogging and I never miss out your blog and I feel happy about the work you guys share…Its awesome…the pics are great…the veg recipes are presented in an awesome manner. You are one of the food bloggers I really admire…Keep up the good work both of you…
thanks a lot asiya for this kind and positive feedback. nice to hear this from a fellow blogger.
Your welcome Ma’am and Sir, you both have really set an example for a perfect Indian food blogging…
thank you very much asiya.