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bhindi masala recipe, how to make bhindi masala recipe | masala bhindi

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bhindi masala recipe
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bhindi masala recipe with video and step by step photos. this is a delicious bhindi masala recipe that i often make at home. this bhindi masala recipe is easy to make and is a semi dry curry. i have also shared bhindi masala gravy recipe, which is a curried version.

long time ago i had a bhindi masala dry sabzi in a restaurant and it was fab. this bhindi masala recipe comes close to the bhindi masala dry sabzi served in restaurants. it is made in an onion-tomato base with the regular masalas (spice powders) – a combination which is often used in punjabi recipes.

bhindi or okra is a favorite veggie at home, after gobi and arbi. we usually prefer dry or semi dry version of any sabzi with bhindi like aloo bhindi, bhindi bhaji, ladies finger fry.

most of the recipes that i make at home are easy and simple to make. so is this masala bhindi recipe. for many people bhindi is one of their favorite veggie. there are many excellent recipes i have shared with bhindi like:

like all other dry bhindi recipes, even this bhindi masala is best served with soft phulkas or chapatis or paratha or naan and a cucumber raita or veg raita by side. they also go well as a side dish with some dal-rice or any rice-curry combo.

i usually add kasuri methi to most of the north indian food that i make at home. adding kasuri methi is optional in this dish. but if you want a restaurant type bhindi masala, then do add some kasuri methi.

bhindi masala quick video (59 seconds video)

bhindi masala recipe below:

bhindi masala recipe

bhindi masala recipe | punjabi masala bhindi recipe

bhindi masala recipe - a semi dry lightly spiced north indian curry made with okra.
print
course side dish
cuisine north indian
prep time 20 minutes
cook time 25 minutes
total time 45 minutes
servings 3
calories 182 kcal
author dassana amit

ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

for sautéing bhindi:

  • 2 tablespoons oil for frying the bhindi
  • 250 grams bhindi (okra or lady finger)

for making bhindi masala:

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 medium size onion - chopped or ⅓ cup chopped onions
  • 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste or 1 inch ginger and 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves, crushed in mortar-pestle
  • 2 medium size tomatoes - chopped or ¾ to 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
  • ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (lal mirch powder) or ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
  • ½ teaspoon fennel powder, (saunf powder), optional
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
  • 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

how to make recipe

preparation for bhindi masala recipe:

  1. rinse the bhindi (okra) well in water. 

  2. dry them on a large plate on their own or wipe with a kitchen towel.

  3. remove the base and stalk while chopping the bhindi. chop into 1 or 2 inch pieces.

  4. also chop onions and tomatoes. keep aside. 

  5. make a paste of ginger and garlic in mortar-pestle and keep aside.

making bhindi masala recipe:

  1. heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai (wok) or pan.

  2. add the bhindi and saute stirring often till they are completely cooked. you will have to keep an eye on them and stir in between many times.

  3. taste the bhindi and if the crunchiness has gone and the bhindi have become soft, it means they are cooked. keep the sauteed bhindi aside.
  4. all the oil will be used up. so add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan.
  5. add chopped onions and fry till they become translucent.

  6. add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for ½ minute or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic disappears.

  7. add the chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes become soft and mushy.

  8. 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.

  9. all the above cooking is done in a open pan and you don't need to cover the pan with the lid.
  10. add all the dry spice powders one by one.

  11. mix well and saute for a few seconds. 

  12. add the sautéed bhindi, crushed kasuri methi & salt and mix so that the onion-tomato masala coats the bhindi well.

  13. cook for about 2 minutes. stir in between. 

  14. then switch off the flame and add chopped coriander leaves to the bhindi masala. mix again.

  15. serve bhindi masala hot or warm garnished with a few coriander leaves and accompanied with chapatis, rotis or naan.

recipe notes

rough nutrition info per serving:

Nutrition Facts
bhindi masala recipe | punjabi masala bhindi recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 182 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 788mg 33%
Potassium 447mg 13%
Total Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Sugars 4g
Protein 2g 4%
Vitamin A 24.2%
Vitamin C 35.5%
Calcium 7.1%
Iron 4.7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.


lets start step by step bhindi masala recipe:

1. rinse 250 grams bhindi (okra) well in water using a colander or strainer. spread them on a thali or plate and let them dry on their own. i do this technique to dry the bhindi instead of wiping each one with a kitchen towel.

bhindi for making bhindi masala recipe

2. when they are dry, then chop them in one or two inch pieces.

bhindi for making bhindi masala recipe

3. in a heavy kadai or pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil and add the bhindi.

bhindi for making bhindi masala recipe

4. mix the bhindi very well with the oil.

bhindi for making bhindi masala recipe

5. now sauté the bhindi stirring often on a low to medium-low flame.

bhindi for making bhindi masala recipe

6. sauté bhindi till they are tender and cooked. you should see a few blisters or golden spots on the bhindi. remove the bhindi and keep aside. taste the bhindi and if the crunchiness has gone and the bhindi have become soft, it means they are cooked. frying or sautéing the bhindi in oil minimizes the sliminess and stickiness.

bhindi for making bhindi masala recipe

7. remove the cooked bhindi in a plate and keep aside.

bhindi for making bhindi masala recipe

8. in the same kadai or pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil. add 1 medium sized chopped onion.

making bhindi masala recipe

9. mix and begin to sauté the onions on a low to medium flame.

making bhindi masala recipe

10. sauté onions till they become translucent.

making bhindi masala recipe

11. then add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste. you can crush 1 inch ginger and 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves in a mortar-pestle.

making bhindi masala recipe

12. stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic disappears.

making bhindi masala recipe

13. next add 2 medium sized chopped tomatoes.

making bhindi masala recipe

14. mix well and begin to sauté tomatoes on a low to medium-low flame. while cooking, 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.

making bhindi masala recipe

15. sauté tomatoes till they become soft and mushy.

making bhindi masala recipe

16. now add ½ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder and ½ tsp garam masala powder.

making bhindi masala recipe

17. next continue to add ½ teaspoon fennel powder (optional), 1 tsp coriander powder and ½ tsp dry mango powder (amchur powder).

making bhindi masala recipe

18. mix the spices very well and sauté for a couple of seconds.

making bhindi masala recipe

19. add the sautéed bhindi.

okra for making bhindi masala recipe

20. season with salt as per taste.

okra for making bhindi masala recipe

21. mix very well.

okra for making bhindi masala recipe

22. now add ½ tsp kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) which has been crushed.

bhindi masala recipe

23. stir the whole mixture well. cook the bhindi for about 2 minutes stirring in between. check the taste of bhindi masala and add more of the spice powders and salt if required.

bhindi masala recipe

24. lastly add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves to the bhindi masala. mix again.

bhindi masala recipe

25. serve bhindi masala hot or warm with rotis, phulkas or naan or plain paratha or rumali roti.

punjabi bhindi masala recipe




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Reader Interactions

{ 161 Responses }

  1. Hello ,I tried your Bhindi and Achar recipe and it was great .
    Love the flavors. Thanks Leila

  2. I tried this recipe. It was delicious. I have written it in my recipe book. Hats off to you for your devotion to share recipes and making this site great!

  3. Hello! I just wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe. I love Lady’s Finger and have been searching for an Indian Lady’s finger recipe for a while now. I tried this and it tasted so good.

  4. Dear Dassana,

    Thank you for a nice recipe.
    Please confirm which oil is good for health like :
    Mustard oil
    Olive Oil
    Groundnut oil
    Refined

    How to select oil while we purchase from market and same way how to select rice while we shop from market.?

    Thanks

    • Welcome Megha. Unrefined cold pressed oils (kacchi ghani) made from any oil seeds like peanut, mustard, sesame, sunflower, safflower are good. avoid refined oil. coconut oil is also good. with olive oil there are many opinions. i don’t use olive oil for traditional indian cooking where frying or high heat is required. for frying its best to use mustard oil or peanut oil. You can check Rutuja video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLSYHzuVv78

  5. It was very yummy & tasty
    Can anyone snd m another recipe
    So tastyyyyyyyyy

  6. I live in a pg just because of you i learned how to cook your every reciepe is so good i just love it thank you so much…

  8. Hi my name is Anita I live in Canada so thought of trying something me thing new I found your recipe in line. I just made the bhindi masala and it looks and tastes faboulous. I also learned that I can add tomatoes and fry it before to not get it sticky. Thanks for the ever tasty recipe. 🙏🏽👌🏾👍🏽

  9. Looks awesome. How do you stop bhindi changing colour and keep it bright green like restaurants?
    Many thanks

  10. Thanx for such easy and lovely recipes. I really loved the recipes and I also enjoyed trying it at my home!!!!

  14. The recipe looks great! I’m excited to try it. I’m just learning and find it hard to gauge salt. how much should I start with? Thanks!

  15. I tried this recipe n it tasted good.

    Your recipes are easy to follow, specially because you add pictures at every step.

    I want to improve it the next time I make so Pls let me know how much time I should fry it initially to remove stickiness.

    Thank you again for posting such easy to make receipes

  16. what is difference between malwani masala and kanda lasun masala. in this recipe can I add malwani masala?

    • malwani masala has different spices used in it than kanda lahsun masala. in malwani masala, onions and garlic are not used. in this recipe, malwani masala will give a different taste. so what i suggest is just add 1/2 tsp of malwani masala instead of garam masala powder.

  17. One way to minimize the slime, is to microwave the cut okra pieces for about 4 minutes on high, then mix and microwave for another 3 minutes or so. Following the microwaving, you can continue with frying. I found this will drastically reduces the slime in okra.

  19. I love this bhindi recipe-a big family pleaser! Can I substitute frozen okra for fresh? Also, can this dish be made a day in advance and still taste delicious? Thanks for your inspiration!

    • thanks bina. yes you can substitute. you can make in advance but some taste and consistency will change. but as per ayurveda its best to eat food fresh as it is more satvic and has more prana (life force).

  22. Hi
    Tried bhindi masala…loved it..And you know the look & smile which you get once your child eats and says it was good..that’s priceless..Thanks so much for posting such easy recipes..I try each alternate day your recipe and thanks again, my son has started actually eating veggies with the recipes I try. thanks to you once again!! :):)

  24. tried paneer butter masala which was truly a restaurant style and bhindi masala was awesome. every one loved it thanks for simple and easy to make reciepes god bless

  26. Thankyou Dassana ji finally I got tasty recipe of bhindi by u.All of your recipes
    are vry good also really.Thanks once again byeeeee

  27. This was a great recipe. I am not fond of bhindi but I enjoyed it. It was very easy and quick to make. All of your recipes come out great. Thanks for this amazing website!

  29. Hi,

    I tried this recipe with chapati today. It was very tasty and my husband liked it although most of the time he does not like the taste of what i cook. Thanks a lot. Thank u so much

  30. Looks like a good recipe and will attempt to try it out tomorrow. I was just wondering if adding sweet potato will ruin the flavour of the masala and if i should steer clear of adding it in?

  31. Wow….each step’s detail is so intricate as if you are standing beside me in my kitchen and telling me like my mom does…you are true teacher and a big help to us people who never got the time to explore our culinary skills!

  32. Heyy dassana, tried bhindi masala today and it came out awesomely well. Thank you for sharing the recipe. Your website is the GOTO thing for me when I am confused as to what to cook 🙂

  33. To say the least, your recipe nailed it once again ! ! ! I was always skeptical about bhindi but it turns out, i’m no more feeling that way. I just got motivated by your detailed and excellent presentation and got through my initial jitters of trying bhindi. That’s what makes your blog extremely catchy to its readers. Every aspect of each recipe that you have listed has a contribution to make to the end result of the dish, just like how your presentation of the final dish threw me off the aisle of hesitation. Thank you once again for taking care of the smallest of things for your readers.

    • welcome hemanth. thanks again for your kind words. i always try to add details but some times i forget. some of my old recipes do not have so many details and i am reworking on them slowly. its just that i am also learning the art of writing and presenting recipes over a period of time.

  35. I am a bachelor living in Kuala Lumpur. Used to eat everyday outside. But since I have started reading your recipes, I have started loving cooking.
    Believe me, you saved me from starving.
    Now everyday, I am cooking of your recipe after office.
    Thanks.

  36. hi…im a regular follower of ur blogs recepies…love to cook them they make cooking simple for me…thanks a lot
    just wanted to know abt this recipe that if i dont put mace will it make a difference as i dnt have it at home for now..

  37. Very tasty recipe! My cooking got so better after I started following your recipes. Thanks!!

  39. Thank you for such a great recipe! I’ve made this successfully with fresh okra. Can I use frozen okra with similar results?

  40. I tried this recipe and its awesome. I have no hesitation in saying that first time in my life i liked bhindi cooked by me. My husband just loved it and couldn’t stop eating. I would love to try many more of ur recipes. Thank you.

  42. Simple and tasty. All ingredients are readily available and can be made in a jiffy.

  43. hey
    its really amazing appetizing bhindi masala that i made today for my family ..
    thanks for recipe…
    its really fantastic…

  44. I have an easy and quick recipe for Bindi with yoghurt…. Quite simple and a quick fix – the only issue is that the leftover does not taste good when stored in the refrigerator. So make sure to make enough for the meal (well, I doubt if there will be any left…). For this recipe, the bhindi’s are washed, dried and sliced thinly in an angle. shallow fry them in vegetable oil in a non-stick pan till they become crispy (there should be absolutely no sliminess). keep the bindies aside. Add some more oil to same non stick pan, add 1/2 a spoon of mustard seeds and let it crackle; add curry patha, thinly sliced onion, 2 or 3 green chillies and saute till they become nice and crispy too. Add a thinly sliced ripe tomato and cook till it becomes mushy. Add 1/4 teaspoon of of turmeric, 1 small spoon of red chilli powder and salt to taste and saute for another minute till the raw flavour of the chilli and turmeric goes away. Toss in the fired bindies and mix well. Let it cool a bit. In a bowl, whip some yoghurt (i use low fat yoghurt) till it is smooth. add a pinch of salt to it and then add in the bindi mix to the yoghurt and mix well. you could garnish with coriander, however I prefer not to add more flavours. Tastes good with Chappathi, parata or pooris. A hit at home and the bowl is left licked clean. try it out and let me know.

    • thanks priya for sharing this recipe. in fact this recipe is similar to the one which my mom shared with me a few months back. i have not tried yet. but i have noted down your recipe as well and will try.

  51. Hi ,
    this recipe really too good.
    I ve tried it in dinner…,and my hubby liked this very well.
    I did not use aamchur 4m all. and I added jeera powder also…. it came very delicious.
    thank you so much for uploading this recipe.
    All d best for upload many in future.

  52. Everyone loved it. My husband usually does not like okra and he said he loved the dish. thanks!

  53. I was confused at first. Next time, can you be more clear about removing the bhindi from the pan before frying the onions? I really enjoyed this recipe, please continue to make more!

    • i have mentioned this point in the step by step post. i think that itself is clear with the pics. thats why i have not added in the recipe details below. now i have added this point. thanks.

  55. Will be trying my first Bhindi masala! Excited about the aamchoor. Thanks for posting!

  57. This is a great recipe! Non slimy okra…delicious
    Did not use all ingredient spices…eg mango powder, but made little difference to the final taste

  58. Hi
    Thanks for the easy recipe, could you please confirm if kasuri methi is regular methi seeds
    Thanks
    Smitha

  59. this is soo different to how i make it i brown the onions put tomatoes salt green chillies then i addd water and then add basaar (powdered red chilli) and then add the bhindi it is so much easier i think anyway i will be trying this method soon … 😉

  60. The recipe sounds very good and appears simple. I hope to try it soon and will follow with a comment.

  65. Hi Dassana,

    I guess I have got your name correct this time. I tried out this too…simply awesome…it came out very well…thanks for all these simple yet wonderfull recipes…Video really helped a lot…It got a lil spicy probably because I used more of red chilli powder…And by the way i never had dry mango or the kasuri methi in my kitchen so far…Thanks to you i have added them now.

    I hope my hubby will enjoy the same.

    Looking forward to try out lots of other recipes too.

    Happy cooking!

  66. I just found this recipe on google and tried it out (I subbed canned tomatoes for fresh). It was so delicious and made my house smell incredible. Thank you!!

  67. I have been a fan of bhindi masala, but my recipe never used to turn out well. Today I tried your recipe and it tasted like they serve in restaurants. Everyone at home enjoyed eating it. Thank you very much.

  68. I used this recipe to make my first bhindi masala. It was very good. I didn’t realize that I was supposed to remove the okra from the pan before adding the tomatoes (“in the same pan” confused me), but the final product was great nonetheless.

    • okay. you must have missed reading the line “remove and keep aside”… not sure how you must have cooked the onions and tomatoes with the sauteed bhindi. but anyways nice to know that the recipe finally turned out great.

  69. Hi, I tried it out this morning, it came out very nicely, enjoyed with rotis. Thanks

  70. I love Indian food for that I am very interest for all kind of good food . I am also good cook.

    So I am looking some special food recipes .

    Thanks

    Reena Zabeen .

  74. Hello,

    I loved the recipe! It was my first attempt at cooking Indian food and it turned out well. I was unfamiliar with several of these spices and was uncomfortable adjusting the spices so I followed the recipe to the letter.

    Question: What would I add to create some heat to this recipe? Of course, I could add Cayenne Pepper powder but what Indian spice would be added to be consistent with the recipe?

    Tks

    • thanks kevin for the feedback. with a lot of indian cooking, you will get an idea of how the spices work and in which manner they contribute to the dish. to add heat, generally red chili powder or even green chilies are used. a paste of ginger-garlic also adds some warmth. also garam masala powder adds heat to the dish. so adjusting these spices and increasing them a bit will add more heat. however if added too much they can spoil the balance of flavors in this dish.

  75. Hi,

    Would like to try your receipe. Could you tell me how much of ginger and garlic is needed? I can’t find it in the ingredients list.

    Many thanks..

    • you can use 1/2 inch ginger and 2-3 garlic and crush in mortar and pestle or 1/2 or 3/4 tsp ginger-garlic paste.i will update the post.

  79. Hi Dassana,

    lovely pictures….
    any tip to maintain the green color of bhindi in subzi…
    my method of preparing it is frying the onion masala and then putting bhindi to it still the whole is done..earlier I used to cover the veggie with thali but then someone told me this makes the bhindi colour dull green and sticky too…helpful to some extent but not fully…
    urs is a two step method but may be successful…needs to be tried….

    • thanks renuka. generally, in vegetables if they are blanched the green color is preserved. i will never think of blanching okra though. sauting or stir frying in oil does preserve the green color, unless the okra is not browned too much. adding any acidic substance also makes the green color dull… so avoid adding lemon juice or vinegar to the veggies if you want a green color.

      sometimes even i cover the pan with a lid for some bhindi recipes. if there is enough sourness in the masala, the stickiness gets reduced. i even add kokum sometimes to bhindi. you can try this recipe. its easy and there is no stickiness in the bhindi.

      btw, i made matar kulcha a few days back. i wanted a typical delhi street food style matar kulcha, hence adapted from nita mehta cookbook. both the matar as well as the kulcha were awesome. i will post the recipes of both in some days.

  82. Looks great, easy peasy and healthy recipe!!
    I love the whole okra shot in specific, the precision is perfect.

  83. Hi Dassana,

    Lovely pictures and presentation as well.. Yesterday only i did this.. Only variation is i grinded onion and tomates along garlic,ginger and few aniseeds just to give some variation and then as mentioned in your receipe all the spicy powders..

    Will try this also for sure.. Keep posting and you are doing a absolute awesome job… 🙂

  85. I love bhindi, in any form!
    My Father dislikes it and would never eat any – I was happy, I got his share too!
    It’s been a while since i made bhindi-anything, guess it will be on the menu this week!