Bhindi fry recipe with step by step photos – easy to prepare spiced Punjabi bhindi masala fry recipe. Gluten-free and vegan.
I make bhindi fry often as a side dish with chapatis or with dal. So thought of sharing the recipe too. The sabzi is a dry recipe with a base of onion, tomatoes and the regular spices. Bhindi fry also makes for a good tiffin box lunch with rotis.
This bhindi fry recipe is different from the Bhindi masala. here everything is cooked together in one pan. The slightly caramelized taste of the onions and the tang of the tomatoes goes very well with the few okra pieces that get golden & crisp.
You do not get a slimy or mushy bhindi if you rinse and wipe dry the okra very well. Before chopping, there should not be any moisture on the okra. The sour ingredients in this recipe like tomatoes and dry mango powder also minimize the sliminess.
Serve bhindi fry with soft chapatis or phulkas. You can also serve as a side sabzi with the combination of dal-rice or dal-roti. Any dal will go well with this bhindi sabzi.
How to make bhindi fry
1. Rinse 250 grams bhindi (okra) in water. Then wipe dry them with a kitchen towel or just allow them to dry them naturally on a plate.
2. Slice off the crown and base tip of each bhindi. Then vertically slice them like in the below pic. The slices can range between 0.25 to 0.5 cm in thickness.
3. Also slice 1 medium onion. Chop 1 large tomato and slit 2 green chilies.
4. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed shallow frying pan. Add the sliced onions.
5. Saute them till they start turning light brown.
6. Now add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and the green chilies.
7. Saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
8. Now add the chopped tomatoes.
9. stir well.
10. Add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and ½ tsp cumin powder.
11. Mix the spices with the rest of the onion-tomato masala. saute this mixture till the tomatoes become pulpy and you see oil releasing from the sides.
12. now add the chopped bhindi (okra).
13. Season with salt.
14. Stir very well.
15. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and cook the bhindi sabji on sim or low flame.
16. Do check after 4 to 5 minutes for a couple of times. Cook the bhindi sabzi on a low flame till the bhindi is done. You will have to check after every 4 to 5 minutes so that the bhindi does not get too browned or burnt. Do stir every time when you check the bhindi sabzi. If the bhindi starts turning too get too browned, then sprinkle about 1 to 1.5 tbsp water all over. Stir, cover and continue to cook bhindi sabzi on a low flame.
17. Here after the first 5 minutes I added ½ tsp dry mango powder (amchur). Not any special reason. Simply because I forgot to add it before. Stir very well.
18. Once the bhindi fry is done, add ¼ tsp garam masala powder and ½ tsp crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves). Stir very well.
19. Lastly, add 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Stir.
20. Serve bhindi fry hot or warm with chapatis or as a side dish with dal-rice.
More bhindi recipes
Bhindi Fry
Ingredients
- 250 grams bhindi (okra or lady finger)
- 3 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion sliced thinly or 1/3 cup sliced onions
- 1 large tomato chopped or ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- 2 green chilies - slit
- 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste or ½ inch ginger + 3 to 4 medium garlic crushed to a paste in mortar-pestle
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (ground cumin)
- ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) - crushed
- 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
(cilantro leaves)
- salt as required
Instructions
preparation
- Rinse 250 grams bhindi (okra) in water. Then wipe dry them with a kitchen towel or just allow to dry them naturally in a plate.
- Slice off the crown and base tip of each bhindi. Then vertically slice them keeping a width of 0.25 to 0.5 cm in thickness.
- Also slice 1 medium onion. Chop 1 large tomato and slit 2 green chilies. Crush the ginger and garlic in a mortar-pestle.
making bhindi fry
- Heat 3 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed shallow frying pan. Add the sliced onions.
- Saute them till they start turning light brown.
- Now add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and the green chilies.
- Saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Now add the chopped tomatoes. Stir well.
- Add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp dry mango powder.
- Mix the spices with the rest of the onion-tomato masala. Saute this mixture till the tomatoes become pulpy and you see oil releasing from the sides.
- Now add the chopped bhindi/okra. Season with salt. Stir very well.
- Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and cook the sabji on a low flame or sim.
- Do check after 4 to 5 minutes a couple of times. Cook the bhindi fry on a low flame till the bhindi is done.
- You will have to check after every 4 to 5 minutes so that the bhindi does not get too browned or burnt. Do stir every time when you check the bhindi sabzi.
- If the bhindi is becoming too browned or getting burnt, then sprinkle 1 to 1.5 tbsp water all over. Stir, cover and continue to cook bhindi sabzi.
- Once the bhindi fry is done, add ¼ tsp garam masala powder and ½ tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), crushed. Stir very well.
- Lastly add 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Stir.
- Serve bhindi fry hot or warm with chapatis or as a side dish with dal-rice.
Notes
- You can increase or decrease the amount of spices as per your taste.
Hi , I live in California. My name is swathi. I liked your gravy. I made it in instapot, didn’t know how much to saute the okra in the end so I pressure cooked it for 2 mins and it came out amazing as a gravy. Just like a hotel one.
hi swathi, thanks for sharing this review and for the rating too. most indian recipes can be easily made in an instant pot. thanks for sharing the cooking time. it will help the readers who want to make the bhindi fry in an instant pot. happy cooking.
very helpful. easy to understand.
thank you.
Thanks very much indeed, for this helpful website for a not-so-good cook as I. I follow your recipe step by step and the outcome is just phenomenal. My folks really relished this bhindi dish, the diagonal cut style of the bhindis impressed them a lot.
Thanks ever soo much for all the toothsome dishes you prepare and the efforts you make to help us become good cooks after you, “step by step”.
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thank much fenella. i am glad that the bhindi fry recipe was loved by your folks. felt nice to read your comment. do try the other recipes as well. happy cooking.
The recipe was awesome.I am 18 and it was the first successful dish of mine.Thank you….
thanks anika and glad to know.
Hello Dassana Amit,
I want to firstly congratulate you on such a successful endeavour! your websight is a true life saver.
I was wondering if we can get the recipe of fried Okra with onion, cooked in owen.
Thank you
Neha
thanks neha. you can cook it directly in a pre heated oven at 180 degrees celsius. just mix everything with the spices and bake in oven till the okra is done. you can even add the onions after 5 to 6 minutes of baking okra in the onion. also drizzle a bit of oil in the mixture.
Hello ma’am….. I’m a big fan of your site…. Love your recipes and ur site is like my teacher… thank you so much. One query ma’am….can you please say how to remove the gumminess of bhindi ?
thanks sarita. there are some ways. one is to saute or fry the bhindi first before adding it to the dish or in the masala or gravy. before chopping them, they should be absolutely dry. if they have water on them after rinsing, then the bhindi does become slimy when cooked. so after rinsing bhindi, dry them with a cotton kitchen napkin. sour ingredients like tomatoes, amchur powder, kokum, curd etc do help in getting rid of the sliminess.
The best bhindi recipe ever!
thanks payal.
This was the best bhindi I ever cooked/tasted ….. sluurrppp. My wife now hates me for finding your website…..lol
thanks a lot saurabh. glad to know that the recipe turned out good.
I made this dish but the bhindi was not crispy
some okra pieces get crisp, not all of them. since tomatoes are added, there will be some moistness and softness in the recipe.
Super it was very and very nice . Super i am going to see your website i will prepare more dishes . Thank you
welcome manikandan and thankyou for your kind words 🙂
Your recipes are always delicious it gives a new innovation to ur simple ghar ka khana keep up the good work I tried almost everything from ur site just a doubt can I use kokam instead of amchur powder in this recipe pls suggest
thankyou so much komal 🙂
Hi. .. I tried this yesterday following your instructions to the T.. it turned out awesome. .. Thanks for sharing
I have cooked bendi fry its good
thanks sandhya for sharing positive feedback.
nice rcipi
thankyou shakeela 🙂
Nice recipe. Thanks
Was looking for fry bhindi recipe
welcome muhammad and thanks.
Love all your recipes and all the ones I have tried have come out really well. Thanks a ton 🙂
thankyou rashmi 🙂 for your positive words.
Sorry for using alternatieve veggies every now and then, but getting Indian veggies is sometimes difficult here. I cooked this with zuccini, and it was very good!!!
sari pleased to know you tried them with zucchini and glad you liked the recipe thankyou 🙂
Hi Dassana,
Being basically familiar with non-vegetarian cooking, your site is a boon for me for vegetarian cooking! Each morning going to your site has become a ritual and I start my day with one of your recipes. Being a working woman with no time for complicated stuff, your easy and simple recipes are fab! I love the clear simple instructions and don’t even need to refer to the snap shots that you so sweetly post.. Well what more can I say…You’ve brought about a Vege revolution and I’m a fan! Keep up the good work. Off to cook now:)
Cheers!
we are pleased to know we could spread veg recipes all over 🙂 thankyou for your kind and encouraging words god bless you.
Hi Dassana,
Always been a big fan of your site. Really love your recipes.
It is as if this site is like my teacher. It teaches me a lot of recipes, and that too, whichever I want, I search it here and mostly I get them.
Thanks for creating this.. It is been a great boon for me to learn something from it.
I wanted to make a bhindi recipe that is dry. So, looks like this one is ok. If you could suggest me more dry bhindi fry recipe, it would be great.
Thanks
Regards
Vaishak S
pleased to know vaishak 🙂 our food blog could help and teach you some recipes. also thankyou for your kind, encouraging and supportive words god bless you and you are always welcome.
Dear Dassana
I made this recipe today. It was awesome. Keep up your good effort.
Thanks
welcome maria. glad to know this.
Dassana you rock!
I love all your recipes. You are a saviour to me as and when my kids ask me to make snack or munch or any dishes.you are my quick guide.
My Mil is also your follower.
Your receipe picturization is very information and plus small small detail you give is precise.
Thak you.
Today I am gonna make bangalore sambar with bindi masala for my friends.
Wish me luck
thanks saigayathri for sharing positive feedback on recipes. glad to know that you and your mil both follow the blog. all the best and happy cooking.
I saw desi bhindi in my local supermarket and decided to browse your website for recipe ideas. This recipe did not disappoint. The seasoning was perfect and I was wishing I had made more. I forgot to add kasuri methi and it was still delicious. Keep these great recipes coming!
thanks jenny for sharing this encouraging feedback.
its very tasty me n my in-laws loved it n my husband really likes bhindi
thanks kaberi for the feedback.
Hi Dassana,
Loved this bhindi! Came out really well, thanks so much.
However, I have a doubt, what’s the difference between this bhindi-fry-recipe-punjabi-bhindi-fry and the earlier posted bhindi masala? (Except for the use of 2 pans)
Also would love to know your inspiration for the range of veg recipes. How do you do it? dish it up like this? Never knew that us veggies could have this variety. HATS OFF TO THE BEST BESTEST VEG RECIPES SITE. Keep going!
thanks radhika. the difference is of frying or sauteing the bhindi, which is not done in this recipe. i cook vegetarian food everyday. so for us also the same stuff at times become repetitive. so i try to cook different dishes 🙂
Very tasty
Dear Dassana,
Tried this recipe last friday and it came out well. Thanks for sharing one more variation on all time fav bhindi 🙂
thank you apurva.
This is an incredible recipe! Bhindi can become such a mess if not cooked properly. This came out perfect! Thank you for you amazing recipes. We have tried a few from your website and all of them were great!
welcome sapna. glad to know this.
Hi
What can we use instead of amchur powder?
you can add a few drops of lime or lemon juice. but towards the end when the dish is done cooking.
delicious
it looks delicious. will try it today
It is very useful to learn
Looks so amazingly delicious, and pretty simple too. I would definitely give it a try
thanks nazo.
Hai my family loved this recipe. Luv u r website
thanks.
How Come that sticky ness is nt thr? I wonder….
if bhindi is cooked well, then there won’t be any stickiness.
Looks so amazingly delicious, and pretty simple too.. i bet it will taste awesome too