Bhindi Masala Recipe (Restaurant Style)

Ingredients

For Sautéing Bhindi

• 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 or or 1 medium-sized onion – finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste or 1 inch ginger and 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves, crushed in mortar-pestle
• 1 cup or 2 medium-sized tomato – finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder (ground coriander)
• ½ teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder or ¼ to ½ 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 coriander leaves – chopped

Steps

Preparation

1. Give the bhindi (okra) a couple of thorough rinses in water.
2. Let the okra dry on its own on a large plate, or wipe the pods with a kitchen towel. Check that the pods are completely free of moisture.
3. Trim away the base and stalk as you cut the okra into 1 or 1.5 inch pieces.
4. Chop the onions and tomatoes too, and set them aside.
5. Use a mortar and pestle to crush the ginger and garlic to a paste. Set it aside.

Sautéing Bhindi

1. In a kadai (wok) or a pan, heat 2 tbsp oil.
2. Put in the chopped bhindi and sauté until it is fully cooked. Keep watch as it cooks and stir it often.
3. Taste the sautéed okra to check it. Once it is soft and has lost its crunch, it is cooked. Set it aside.

Making Onion Tomato Masala

1. The first batch of oil will be used up, so pour 1 tablespoon oil into the same pan.
2. Put the chopped onions in the pan and sauté over low to medium heat. Stir often until they soften and turn translucent.
3. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté over low heat for a few seconds or until its raw smell disappears.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes. Sauté them with frequent stirring until they soften and turn mushy.
5. If the tomato mixture gets too dry and begins to stick to the pan, pour in about ¼ cup water. Stir well and keep cooking.
6. The preceding cooking steps are done with the pan open, so there is no need for a lid.
7. Add each of the dry ground spice powders in turn.
8. Stir well, then sauté over low heat for a few seconds.

Making Bhindi Masala

1. Add the sautéed bhindi, crushed kasuri methi and salt, and stir until the onion-tomato masala coats the okra well.
2. Give it about 2 minutes to cook, stirring during that time.
3. Switch off the heat, add the chopped coriander leaves and stir again.
4. Garnish the bhindi masala with a few coriander leaves and serve it hot or warm with chapati, roti or naan. You can also pack it in a lunch box or serve it as a side with any North Indian meal.