Bhindi Masala is a North Indian, Punjabi-style dish made with tender okra cooked in a spiced onion-tomato base. The bhindi is first sautéed separately and then mixed with the onion-tomato masala along with spices and herbs. This is a semi-dry preparation that is commonly served with roti or paratha. The recipe is naturally vegan and easy to make at home.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons oil (– sunflower oil or peanut oil or any neutral oil)
  • 250 grams okra ((bhindi or lady finger))
  • 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)

Method

Preparation

  1. Rinse the bhindi (okra) well in water for a couple of times.
  2. 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.
  3. Remove the base and stalk while chopping them. Chop into 1 or 1.5 inch pieces.
  4. Also chop onions and tomatoes. Keep aside.
  5. Make a paste of ginger and garlic in mortar-pestle and keep aside.

Sautéing Bhindi

  1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai (wok) or pan.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Making Onion Tomato Masala

  1. All the oil will be used up. So add 1 tablespoon oil to the same pan.
  2. Add chopped onions and sauté stirring often on low to medium heat till they become translucent and are softened.
  3. Add the ginger-garlic paste and sauté on low heat for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic disappears.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute stirring often till the tomatoes become soft and mushy.
  5. 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.
  6. All the above cooking is done in a open pan and you don't need to cover the pan with the lid.
  7. Add all the dry ground spice powders one by one.
  8. Mix well and saute for a few seconds on low heat.

Making Bhindi Masala

  1. Add the sautéed bhindi, crushed kasuri methi, salt and mix so that the onion-tomato masala coats the okra well.
  2. Cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in between.
  3. Then turn off the heat and add chopped coriander leaves. Mix again.
  4. 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.

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.