Baked Popcorn Okra. Okra / Bhindi tossed in chickpea flour batter, coated in spiced breadcrumbs and baked until crunchy crisp. Vegan Recipe, can be gluten-free and oil-free.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: fusion

Ingredients

  • 1.5 to 2 cups chopped okra

Batter:

  • 1/3 cup chickpea flour (you might need an additional tbsp if using besan)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp garlic
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp oil

Breading:

  • 1 cup breadcrumbs (use gf breadcrumbs or cornmeal to make glunte-free)
  • 1.5 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp chipotle pepper powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Method

  1. Chop the okra. In a bowl mix the batter ingredients. It should be the consistency of thick buttermilk. Add a few tsp more water or flour if needed.
  2. In another bowl, mix all the breading ingredients well. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F / 220ºc.
  3. Add chopped okra, a half cup at a time into the batter bowl, remove using slotted spoon, tap to drop the excess batter, Transfer to breading bowl. Move the pieces around to coat, transfer to baking sheet. I put a lid on the breading bowl and move it around. This works if you ensure that there is not too much excess batter on the okra pieces. Repeat for all the okra.
  4. Spray oil on the breaded okra(optional). Bake at 425 degrees F / 220ºc for 20 to 23 minutes or until golden.Serve warm with chutneys, ketchup or sauces of choice! or add to salads or dal bowls.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.