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
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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
- 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.