August 7, 2018 / By / 139 Comments
bhindi masala gravy recipe
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bhindi masala gravy recipe with step by step photos – this is a very good home cooked delicious curry with bhindi or okra. i have kept the ingredients basic and not added stuff like cashews, poppy seeds, melon seeds, cream etc to thicken the gravy. so anyone having indian spices and ingredients at home can easily make this delicious masala bhindi curry.

bhindi is a family favorite. hence there are many recipes posted with okra on the blog. i have already posted a semi dry bhindi masala recipe.

usually i make a dry or semi dry curry with okra like aloo bhindi, kurkuri bhindi, bhindi do pyaza. we have had bhindi masala with gravy a couple of times in restaurants. so i tried to make a restaurant version minus the cream or khoya (evaporated milk). the recipe was a success and it tasted awesome.

while writing this post, i still remember the flavors and taste of this bhindi masala gravy. it was damn good. i love cooking more than being a foodie. but for a reason, this bhindi masala curry was an exception. it reminded me with the flavor and taste of a bhindi masala i had many years back in mumbai. the tanginess of the tomatoes complements the light sweetness of okra very well.

bhindi masala gravy goes well with soft phulkas, chapatis or parathas. this mildly spiced okra curry also goes well with steamed rice.

if you are looking for some more delicious ladies finger recipes then i suggest the following recipes:

  1. bhindi fry
  2. bharwa bhindi
  3. shahi bhindi gravy
  4. bhindi bhaji/sabzi recipe

bhindi masala gravy recipe below:

bhindi masala gravy
4.71 from 44 votes
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bhindi masala gravy recipe | masala bhindi gravy recipe | ladies finger curry

bhindi masala gravy recipe - sauteed okra or bhindi in a tangy onion tomato gravy.

course main course
cuisine north indian, punjabi
prep time 25 minutes
cook time 25 minutes
total time 50 minutes
servings 4
calories per serving 176 kcal
author dassana

ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

for tomato paste:

  • 3 medium ripe red tomatoes or 150 grams tomatoes or ¾ cup roughly chopped tomatoes
  • ½ inch ginger (adrak)
  • 4 to 5 garlic (lahsun)
  • 1 to 2 green chilies (hari mirch)
  • 2 tablespoon curd (yogurt or dahi)
  • 2 cloves (lavang)
  • 1 green cardamom (choti elachi)
  • ½ inch cinnamon (dal chini)
  • 1 single strand of mace (javitri)

other ingredients for bhindi masala gravy:

  • 250 grams bhindi (okra or lady finger)
  • 1 large onion Or 2 medium onions Or 100 grams onions Or ½ cup finely chopped onions
  • ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) - crushed
  • 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (dhania patta)
  • 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli powder (lal mirch powder)
  • ½ teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder (jeera)
  • 2 tablespoon oil for sauteing bhindi
  • 2 tablespoon oil for making gravy
  • salt as required

how to make recipe?

preparation for bhindi masala gravy recipe:

  1. first rinse 250 grams okra (bhindi) very well in running water a few times. then drain them completely in a strainer or colander.

  2. wipe each bhindi with a kitchen napkin. there should be no moisture on them. you can also allow them to dry naturally at room temperature, by spreading them in a large plate or tray.

  3. chop the bhindi into 1.5 to 2.5 inch pieces. keep aside.

  4. in a grinder or blender jar, take 3/4 cup roughly chopped ripe red tomatoes, 1/2 inch chopped ginger, 4 to 5 chopped garlic cloves and 1 or 2 green chilies, chopped.
  5. add 2 tbsp fresh full fat curd/dahi/yogurt along with 2 cloves, 1 green cardamom, 1/2 inch cinnamon and 1 single strand of mace.
  6. without adding water, grind or blend to a smooth paste. keep aside covered.

sauteing bhindi:

  1. heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai or pan. add the okra and saute them on a low flame.
  2. stir and saute them till they are almost cooked, shrinked and lightly browned from the sides.

  3. when done remove the sauteed bhindi and place them in a plate or tray.

making bhindi masala gravy:

  1. in the same kadai or pan, add 2 tbsp oil. add tej patta and fry for about 5 to 7 seconds.

  2. add the 1/2 cup finely chopped onions. stir well.

  3. saute the onions till they start to turn light golden.
  4. lower the flame. then add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder and 1/2 tsp cumin powder.
  5. stir the spice powders quickly. you can also switch off the stove top while adding and mixing spices powders, so that they don't get burned.
  6. add the tomato- curd paste that we made before. be careful while adding ground paste as it splutters.

  7. stir well. on a low flame saute till the masala paste thickens and you see oil leaving the sides.

  8. add about 3/4 cup water and stir very well. you can also add 1/2 to 2/3 cup water for a thick gravy or 3/4 cup water for medium gravy
  9. season with salt as required.

  10. add the sauteed bhindi (okra). stir again.

  11. bring the bhindi masala gravy to a simmer on a medium flame. cook for about 5 to 6 minutes till the gravy get infused with the aroma and flavor of the okra.

  12. don't cook bhindi in the gravy for longer time as then they become mushy.

  13. add 1/2 tsp kasuri methi, crushed. if you want, you can also add 1 or 2 tbsp of low fat cream at this step.

  14. stir and then add 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves to the bhindi masala gravy.

  15. stir again and switch off the stove top.

  16. serve bhindi masala gravy garnished with a few coriander leaves or straightaway with chapatis or parathas or steamed rice.


how to make okra curry or bhindi masala gravy recipe:

1. first rinse 250 grams bhindi (okra) very well in running water a few times. then drain them completely in a strainer or colander.

bhindi, okra, lady finger

2. wipe each bhindi with a kitchen napkin. there should be no moisture on them. you can also allow them to dry naturally at room temperature, by spreading them in a large plate or tray.

bhindi for bhindi masala recipe

3. chop the bhindi into 1.5 to 2.5 inch pieces. keep aside.

chopped bhindi for making bhindi masala recipe

4. in a grinder or blender jar, take ¾ cup roughly chopped ripe red tomatoes, ½ inch chopped ginger, 4 to 5 chopped garlic cloves and 1 or 2 green chilies, chopped. use ripe red tomatoes which are a bit sweet and less sour or tangy.

making bhindi masala paste

5. add 2 tbsp fresh full fat curd (dahi or yogurt) along with 2 cloves, 1 green cardamom, ½ inch cinnamon and 1 single strand of mace.

making bhindi masala paste

6. without adding water, grind or blend to a smooth paste. keep aside covered.

bhindi masala paste

-> sauteing bhindi:

7. heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai or pan. add the chopped bhindi/okra and saute them on a low flame.

chopped bhindi for bhindi masala recipe

8. stir and saute them till they are almost cooked, shrinked and lightly browned from the sides.

sauting bhindi for bhindi masala recipe

9. when done remove the sauteed bhindi and place them in  a plate or tray.

sauted bhindi for bhindi masala recipe

-> making bhindi masala gravy:

10. in the same kadai or pan, add 2 tbsp oil. add tej patta and fry for about 5 to 7 seconds.

making bhindi masala recipe

11. add the ½ cup finely chopped onions.

onions for bhindi masala gravy recipe

12. stir well.

onions for bhindi masala gravy recipe

13. saute the onions till they start to turn light golden.

sauting onions for bhindi masala curry recipe

14. lower the flame. then add ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and ½ tsp cumin powder.

curry for bhindi masala gravy recipe

15. stir the spice powders quickly. you can also switch off the stove top while adding and mixing spices powders, so that they don’t get burned.

making bhindi masala gravy recipe

16. add the tomato-curd paste that we made before. be careful while adding the ground paste as it splutters.

paste for bhindi masala gravy recipe

17. stir well.

stir bhindi masala gravy

18. on a low flame saute till the masala paste thickens and you see oil leaving the sides.

sauting bhindi masala gravy

19. add about ¾ cup water and stir very well. you can also add ½ to ⅔ cup water for a thick gravy or ¾ cup water for medium gravy.

water for bhindi masala gravy recipe

20. season with salt as required.

salt for bhindi masala gravy recipe

21. add the sauteed bhindi.

preparing bhindi masala recipe

22. stir again.

stir bhindi masala gravy

23. bring the bhindi masala gravy to a simmer on a medium flame. cook for about 5 to 6 minutes till the gravy get infused with the aroma and flavor of the okra. don’t cook bhindi in the gravy for longer time as then they become mushy.

simmer bhindi masala curry

24. add ½ tsp kasuri methi, crushed. if you want, you can also add 1 or 2 tbsp of low fat cream at this step.

making bhindi masala curry recipe

25. stir and then add 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves to the bhindi masala gravy.

coriander for bhindi masala curry recipe

26.  stir bhindi masala gravy again and then switch off the stove top.

bhindi masala curry recipe, bhindi masala gravy recipe, bhindi masala

27. serve bhindi masala gravy garnished with a few coriander leaves or straightaway with rotis or parathas or steamed rice.

bhindi masala gravy recipe, bhindi masala recipe




139 thoughts on “bhindi masala gravy recipe | masala bhindi gravy recipe | ladies finger curry”

  2. Sonia

    Gosh! This dish looks really yum in the pics and the comments below make me want to try it right after I finish writing this comment. My family doesn’t seem to like the bhindi dishes I make so I need to try out something new. I am certain that, like all your other recipes this one will be super as well!

    1. dassana amit

      sour taste is due to the kind of tomatoes used. for tomato based gravies, it better to use ripe and red tomatoes which are not too tangy. also its best to use fresh curd. the curd should not be sour. addition of some sugar or cream will balance the sour taste.

  6. Cory

    Awesome recipe. I made this last night for dinner and for the first time feel like I cooked something that really tasted like a dish I could have eaten in an Indian restaurant! I’m so proud of myself. I substituted a few tiny pinches of freshly ground nutmeg for the mace since I don’t have any. I will try more of your recipes for sure. Thank you so much!

  7. Leena

    Hi Amit. I tried this reCipe And it was suppppper yummmy. I never thought, okra can be turned into such a nice dish.thnx a ton.

  10. tiffany

    I don’t care for whole spice pieces in gravy, even if they are blended because I always end up getting pieces of whole spice in bites of food. Can I temper the clove and cardamom in oil with tej patta? what do you suggest? many thanks!

  13. Anu

    Hi,

    I am from London, and a big fan of lady finger. Yesterday I tried this recipe and it was a big success. Enjoying in today’s lunch box as well

  15. Ryan

    Just got done making this for the first time about 20 minutes ago. This is a phenomenal recipe! Definitely one of the best I have tried!

  16. Uma

    Excellent bhindi masala, superb , restaurant style dish. Everyone in my family just loved it. Thank u for thinking and trying out various marvelous recipes.

  17. Malini Patel

    Hi,
    Thank u so……………. much! for this simple tasty recipe.My family loves to eat Okra now.My daughter’s favourite dish for lunch box with roti.My Best wishes to u.

  18. Sharang Dhar Sharma

    Hi

    The bhindi Masala is just fantastic / marvelous / super /fenomenal / top notch . I cooked it and enjoyed . all the very best …!

    Regards

    SD Sharma
    Palam
    New Delhi – 110045.

  23. Reema

    Prepared this curry today… came out well, my family liked it. Thank you so much.

  24. Pix

    How do you overcome the harshness of the raw garlic in the masala? I tried to slightly roast the garlic since I have the same problem when I try doing the same with other gravies. I followed this recipe but the garlic -Inness is overpowering. Would appreciate your feedback.

    1. dassana amit

      some folks are sensitive to garlic aroma and flavor. what you can do is add less of garlic in any recipe than what is mentioned. usually sauteing the garlic does reduce its pungency. you can even skip garlic, if still you feel it to be too much in the gravy.

    2. Pri

      Garlic bulbs available in India are tinier than the ones available outside. Hence, if 5-6 garlic cloves is mentioned, I’d probably use 2 big cloves at the most.

      Cheers!

  25. Nishi

    If you want to me this for a party can you keep the gravy and fried behind separately and mix them just before serving

  27. Khushboo Anamd

    Hi Dassana,

    I have been following your website for almost all new recipes which I have very little or no experience with and I want to give you a big congratulations and hug for doing such a brilliant job with the posts. The instructions are super easy to follow and the excellent quality pictures makes the reader want to cook at home. Every post shows the amount of hard work and passion you put into it. Keep up the good work.

    Lots of good wishes to https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com ! More power to you! 🙂

    Regards,
    Khushboo

  28. Padma Priya

    Awesome.. simple way of narrating the procedure.. thank u so much for ur receipes.. expecting more such.. yummmmmmyyyyy receipes.. 🙂

  29. yuva

    No words to describe… Its awesome..Am a beginner… Its very useful for me.. Step by step photographys are make me too easy to cook… Thank u so much dassana ji…..

  32. Liz

    Made this tonight for dinner. It was superb. I didn’t have the methi leaves on hand, but decided to go and buy some; I am really glad I did. The aroma of the methi leaves with gravy was outstanding. My husband and I both loved this. Thanks for the recipe!

  33. neraja

    I’m a south Indian and I don’t know much of north Indian dishes. Just got to know this website and I tried this dish for the first time and it came very good. my family members really loved it.
    There are many great recipes in this website that I’m going to try later. Thank you.

  34. Sruthi

    Hi Dassana! I have tried this recipe yesterday, it came out so well. My family loved this bindi masala. Thank you for sharing these awesome recipes:)

  37. saima

    I just love your website….Its excellent.I visited it today and share it with many of my friends….I will defiantly try this bhindi and will share the experience with you

    The way you respond to every comment..It killed me

  38. Aarati Saisswaroop

    I cooked dis receipe for the first time n it has turned out awsum… Your website is really a boon…I hv tried mixed veg restaurant style also many times and each time it’s yummy…i used to hate okra but now I just love it…Thanks to you……

  39. Vanysa

    Love it! Made it just now and turned out great! I think next time I will buy juicier tomatoes and add more yogurt because I like the gravy a lot! Forgot to rate…this is my rating

  40. mohit kothadia

    Hello Dassana!

    You are the saviour!! I have just started trying my hands on cooking. Everyday I woke up and think what should I try to make today, I just look into your website and things always turned out more than I expect…my girlfriend loves all the recipe I have made so far and even her mother visited once and I made chhole that day, I was managed to impress her

    Again thanks so much!!! Keep posting!!

  41. Reema Malik

    This turned out really good!… I was tired of eating dry bhindi and decided to make this version… I still didn’t make it this liquidy but it was nice!.. The masala was tasty..

  42. sapna

    Tried this recipe today Dassana and it was excellent. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.

  43. Vanysa

    Hi Dasana, I tried your Chole masala recipe and wanted to comment but the page does not allow me to comment. I wanted to ask you if I can use the Chole masala to cook other vegetables…I love the masala! If yes, which vegetables is recommended to go well with that masala? My next attempt will be this bhindi masala!

    1. dassana amit

      thank you vanysa. we have closed comments on some posts. you can use the chole masala to cook other vegetables. just use it like the way we use garam masala. 1/4 to 1/2 tsp for a serving of 4 should be fine. you can use it for any veggie or even a combination of potato with any veggie. in this bhindi masala, don’t add garam masala. just add the chole masala powder. i thing 1/4 tsp should be fine in this recipe.

  46. Hariprasad

    Dear Amit, loved this recipe, thank you so much for sharing. Look forward to try some more recipes.

  48. Jyothsna

    Thank you very much for this recipe.
    Initially I wasn’t too sure of the outcome, but it was delicious!
    we were scraping the bottom of the pan!
    Thank you!

  50. Sandeep

    Hi Dassana,

    I Tried this recipe yest night and it went very delicious with chapathi. Thanks to you for sharing new recipe on bhindi. Hope to see further simple recipes like this…..!

  52. Paru

    I made this yesterday and it was very delicious ! So nice to find a new recipe for Okra other than my mothers dry version which is also yummy too. I will be making this again very soon.

  53. Sushant

    I tried making this yesterday and it came out really nice! I am surprised that more people have tried and reviewed the dry bhindi masala recipe, compared to this gravy one. It tasted great with basmati rice 🙂

    1. dassana amit

      thanks sushant for sharing positive feedback in bhindi masala. since bhindi masala dry version was posted much earlier than the gravy version thats why more reviews for dry version. but both taste good.

  55. Reena

    Loved this recipe my mom loves Okra so much that i keep trying new things with it.
    It is the best one i have found without cream, thank you so much.
    My mom loved it so did my dad who hates Okra though, yet he enjoyed it.

  58. Jayanthi

    Oh my…. how did I miss this website so long. Just adorable. I am new to cooking and almost every day I get annoyed searching for tasty yet easy recipes… and your place is the best for it. Just great job….

  59. Antony Dick

    I’m a bachelor in city like Chennai and I got tired of eating Restaurant food for 6 long years, came across this website to try something new.

    Wow, I’m glad I found this simple recipe where I could make tasty food without breaking a sweat. Thank you very much for the lovely recipe.

    PS: You made me love this one, despite being a hardcore non-vegetarian.

  61. Deepa

    This recipe was simply amazing. So simple to make and delicious. I can’t wait to substitute other veggies or tofu even. Love your website,

  62. vidhya

    Hi Dassana,

    Big fan of your website and recipes. I tried your vegan christmas rum cake twice recently and it was a huge hit both times.

    For this recipe, since am a vegan- is there any way to make this vegan? Any substitute for the yoghurt or I simply omit it and just add water instead when pulsing the tomatoes with the spices? I love bindi as well and would be thrilled if I can make it vegan and hopefully it tastes just as good 🙂

    Thanks!
    Vidhya

    1. dassana amit

      welcome vidhya. thanks for sharing positive feedback. yes omit the yogurt. no need to add water while pulsing the tomatoes. because the juices of the tomatoes will be enough.

  63. Dhanya

    I love bhendis, but they are quite expensive and not of good quality here (I live in a small city in Germany) . Could you suggest some other veggie as substitute? (though it might not be as tasty as bhendi)

    1. dassana amit

      okay dhanya. the gravy recipe here is versatile and can go with veggies like cauliflower, peas, potatoes, carrots, beans. but just add some cream towards the end if using cauliflower or mix vegetables.

  64. Mansi

    Hey Dassana.. I have been following your recipes oflet and all of them turn out very well. Today I tried Bhindi Masala and that too is tasting yummy. Thanks for sharing.

        2. anuradha

          when i was in Malad, Mumbai there was a restaurant named Shridevi, we used to go there very often, there for the 1st time i tasted bhindi masala. Whenever i go there i order only bhindi masala. Later we shifted to Kerala since then i tried so many restaurants but failed to get that taste. Now yesterday i saw your site and tried your recipe, My God! the same taste and i am very happy. Thanks Dassana for sharing this recipe

          1. dassana amit

            i remember sridevi restaurant. my office bus would have a pick up from here. its on sv road. even though at times i would get down here or take the bus, i have never been to this restaurant. thanks for the feedback and its a pleasant one. i think now i should have tasted bhindi masala from here 🙂

            1. anuradha

              Yes its in SV road Dassana, good to hear that u had seen that restaurant. I don’t know whether that same person will be there who cooked bhindi masala just like yours but you pls try and tell me.

                1. Prema Ingle

                  i liked it very much. Really we can make it fast if we have a little time and our friends or relatives waiting for food .

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