Bhindi Masala is a North Indian curried dish featuring tender okra pods, piquant onions, tangy tomatoes, bold spices and herbs. It is a popular dish and served in many restaurants. I share a delicious Punjabi style bhindi masala recipe that I often make. Gluten-free and vegan. Make this easy, healthy semi-dry spiced okra curry with my video and step by step photos.
Table of Contents
What Does Bhindi Masala Mean?
“Bhindi” is the Hindi word for okra and “Masala” here refers to a sautéed base of aromatics like onions, garlic, ginger with the usual tomatoes, spices and herbs.
So there you get the meaning of Bhindi Masala – okra cooked in a spiced tangy base of onions, tomatoes and ground spices. The spice combination used here is often added to many Punjabi recipes.
A long time ago I had a bhindi masala in a restaurant and it was fabulous. This recipe replicates the bhindi masala that is served in restaurants. In some of the restaurant, they serve a gravy version of this dish. But my recipe is that of a semi-dry curry.
I usually add kasuri methi to my recipe. Kasuri methi are dried fenugreek leaves which have a lovely aroma. Adding kasuri methi is optional, but if you want a restaurant style bhindi masala, then try to add kasuri methi.
Bhindi or okra is our favorite veggie. We usually prefer dry or semi dry version of any sabzi with okra.
Most of the Indian recipes that I make with okra are easy, healthy and simple to make. So is this bhindi masala recipe. If like us, okra is your favorite veggie, then do try these Okra Recipes.
Okra Recipes
Okra Recipes
Okra Recipes
Okra Recipes
This bhindi masala is best savored with some soft phulka or roti. You can also enjoy it with naan or paratha or rumali roti. It can also be packed for a tiffin box.
How to make Bhindi Masala
Prep Okra
1. Rinse 250 grams bhindi (okra) well in water using a colander or strainer. Spread them on a tray or plate and let them dry on their own under the fan. You can even wipe dry each bhindi with a clean kitchen towel.
2. When they are completely dry, then chop each bhindi in one or two inch pieces.
Before chopping them make sure there is not even a single drop of water or any moisture on the okra pods.
Sauté Okra
3. In a heavy kadai or pan or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil and add the chopped okra. You can use any neutral-tasting oil. I mostly use sunflower oil or peanut oil.
4. Mix chopped bhindi very well with the oil.
5. Now sauté bhindi stirring often on a low to medium-low heat.
6. Sauté bhindi until they are tender and cooked. You should see a few blisters or golden spots on the chopped okra. Remove the sautéed okra and set aside.
Taste the sautéed okra. The crunchiness should not be there. Instead you should taste a nicely softened bhindi. This means that they are well cooked.
Frying or sautéing okra in oil minimizes the sliminess and stickiness in this bhindi masala recipe.
7. Remove the cooked bhindi in a plate and keep aside. Also chop onions, tomatoes, green chilies and keep aside. Crush ginger and garlic in mortar-pestle to get ginger-garlic paste.
Sauté onions, tomatoes, spices
8. In the same kadai or pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add 1 medium-sized chopped onion (⅓ cup chopped onions).
Note for a richer taste you can use swap oil with ghee (clarified butter).
9. Mix and begin to sauté the onions on a low to medium flame.
10. Sauté onions stirring often until they become translucent. The onions should be softened.
11. Then add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste.
12. Stir and sauté until the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. This takes about a few seconds.
13. Next add 2 medium sized chopped tomatoes (1 cup chopped tomatoes).
14. Mix well and begin to sauté tomatoes on low to medium-low heat. If the tomato mixture becomes too dry and starts sticking to the pan, add a few splashes of water – about 3 to 4 tablespoons water. Mix well and continue to sauté stirring often.
15. Sauté tomatoes until they become soft and mushy.
16. Now add ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon garam masala powder.
17. Next continue to add ½ teaspoon fennel powder (ground fennel – optional), 1 teaspoon coriander powder and ½ teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur powder).
If you do not have dry mango powder, add ½ teaspoon dried pomegranate seeds powder (anardana powder).
You can add lemon juice, but I suggest to squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of the bhindi masala while eating it. Adding lemon juice directly to the dish can make it very tangy.
18. Mix the spices very well and sauté for a couple of seconds.
Make Bhindi Masala
19. Add the sautéed bhindi.
20. Season with salt as per taste.
21. Mix very well.
22. Now add ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) which has been crushed. If you do not have dried fenugreek leaves, then simply skip them.
23. Stir the whole mixture well. Cook for about 2 minutes stirring in between. Check the taste of bhindi masala and add more of the ground spice powders and salt if required.
24. Lastly, add 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves. Mix again. You can also add 1 tablespoon of chopped mint leaves if you do not have coriander leaves (cilantro).
25. Serve Bhindi Masala hot or warm.
Serving Suggestions
Like all other dry bhindi recipes, even this bhindi masala is best served with soft phulka or chapati or paratha or naan and cucumber raita or veg raita by side. They also go well as a side dish with some dal-rice or any rice-curry combo. You can also serve it as a side with any North Indian meal.
It also can be packed in tiffin box or lunch box with roti or paratha.
How to cook Okra perfectly?
Prepping Okra
- Rinsing: After rinsing okra in water, drain all the water completely. There should not be any water or moisture on the okra pods. Otherwise while chopping and later while cooking they will become slimy or sticky.
- Drying: Then wipe each okra pods completely dry with a clean kitchen towel or cotton napkin. You can even dry okra pods by spreading them in a large plate/tray and then drying them under the fan.
- Chopping: Before you chop bhindi, they should be completely dry. When chopping okra, some of the slimy substance sticks to the knife. You can wipe it with a kitchen paper towel or paper napkin and then continue to chop.
Cooking okra
- Cooking methods: Sautéing or pan frying or even deep frying okra helps in reducing their stickiness or sliminess. When you fry or sauté okra before you make a gravy or a masala it will not only make your gravy or sauce taste good but also remove the stickiness from okra. In this bhindi masala recipe, I have sautéed okra first.
- Fats: The addition of extra oil also minimizes stickiness. 3 tablespoons of oil which is added in this bhindi masala recipe is perfect. You can even add 4 tablespoons of oil. However, do not reduce the oil to 2 tablespoons.
- Souring ingredients: Adding sour ingredients help to reduce the sliminess of the okra. Sour and tangy ingredients like tomatoes, tamarind, dry mango powder (amchur), lime or lemon juice, vinegar, kokum (garcinia indica), curd, buttermilk are great to be used depending on the kind of recipe or dish you are making with okra.
In this recipe of bhindi masala, I have used tomatoes and dry mango powder which not only give a good tangy taste but also get rid of the sliminess.
Helpful Tips
- Okra: Buy tender and fresh okra pods when you plan to make any recipe with them. They should have a smooth, shiny look with a nice green color and should not look dry. They should not be dense or fibrous.
- Scaling: My recipe can be easily scaled and halved or doubled or tripled.
- Omitting onions and garlic: If you decide not to add onions and garlic in bhindi masala, then when sautéing tomatoes, add a pinch of asafoetida (hing).
- Spicing and seasonings: You can add less or more of the ground spices according to your taste preferences.
- Dried fenugreek leaves: If you do not have dried fenugreek leaves, then simply skip them. But it gives a good aroma and restaurant like taste.
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Bhindi Masala
Ingredients
For sautéing
- 2 tablespoons oil – sunflower oil or peanut oil or any neutral oil
- 250 grams okra (bhindi or lady finger)
Other ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil – sunflower oil or peanut oil or any neutral oil
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onions or 1 medium-sized onion
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste or 1 inch ginger and 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves, crushed in mortar-pestle
- 1 cup finely chopped tomatoes 2 medium-sized tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon fennel powder (ground fennel – optional
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder) or add as required
- salt as required
- ½ teaspoon kasuri methi – crushed (dry fenugreek leaves ) – optional
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse the bhindi (okra) well in water for a couple of times.
- Dry them on a large plate on their own or wipe with a kitchen towel. Make sure there is no moisture or water on the okra pods.
- Remove the base and stalk while chopping them. Chop into 1 or 1.5 inch pieces.
- Also chop onions and tomatoes. Keep aside.
- Make a paste of ginger and garlic in mortar-pestle and keep aside.
Sautéing bhindi
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai (wok) or pan.
- Add the chopped bhindi and sauté stirring often till they are completely cooked. You will have to keep an eye on them and stir in between many times.
- Taste the sautéed okra and if the crunchiness is not there and the bhindi have become soft, it means they are cooked. Keep the sautéed bhindi aside.
Sautéing onions, tomatoes, spices
- All the oil will be used up. So add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan.
- Add chopped onions and saute stirring often till they become translucent.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic disappears.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and saute stirring often till the tomatoes become soft and mushy.
- If the tomato mixture becomes too dry and starts sticking to the pan, then add about ¼ cup water. Mix well and continue to cook.
- All the above cooking is done in a open pan and you don’t need to cover the pan with the lid.
- Add all the dry ground spice powders one by one.
- Mix well and saute for a few seconds.
Making bhindi masala
- Add the sautéed bhindi, crushed kasuri methi, salt and mix so that the onion-tomato masala coats the okra well.
- Cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in between.
- Then switch off the flame and add chopped coriander leaves. Mix again.
- Serve bhindi masala hot or warm garnished with a few coriander leaves and accompanied with chapati, roti or naan. It can also be packed for lunch box. It also makes for a nice side dish with any North Indian meal.
Video
Notes
- Okra: Buy tender and fresh okra pods. They should have a smooth, shiny look with a nice green color. They should not be dry, dense or fibrous.
- Scaling: You can easily halve or double the recipe.
- Omitting onions and garlic: If you decide not to add onions and garlic, then when sautéing tomatoes, add a pinch of asafoetida (hing).
- Spicing and seasonings: You can add less or more of the ground spices according to your taste preferences.
- Dried fenugreek leaves: Skip dried fenugreek leaves if you do not have them.
- Fats: You can make this recipe in any neutral flavored oil. For a richer taste you can use ghee (clarified butter). Optionally you can also add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream or whipping cream.
- Variation: For a hearty filling dish you can opt to add roasted or sauteed or pan fried potato cubes.
Nutrition Info (Approximate values)
This Bhindi Masala recipe post from the archives originally published on April 2013 has been updated and republished on 22 Jun 2021.
Hello Dassana,
we do not always get fresh okra where I live, so will this recipe work with frozen okra?
Hi Anu, yes will work. I used to freeze okra last year due to the situation here and would make many recipes with it.
This is an excellent Bhindi recipe. I have made it many times and is one of my go to’s. It’s easy and so good! I’ve also added fenugreek and Harrisa sauce sometimes.
Frying the okra before adding to the recipe really works to keep it from getting slimy.
Thank you for the review and the rating. Good to know. It is an easy recipe and frying okra works well and does not make them slimy. Thanks for sharing the variations too.
Thank you Dassana. This is a great recipe! I had no idea that you are supposed to dry the okra before frying it. I add cumin seeds every time which makes the dish even more tasty. It can also be eaten with boiled rice.
Welcome Angela. Drying okra always helps as it reduces the sliminess when cooking. Yes the dish can also be eaten with boiled rice. Thanks for the feedback and the rating.