Spiced okra rice recipe where sauteed okra is mixed with cooked rice.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 2 · 2 to 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rice (regular or basmati rice)
  • 3.5 to 4 cups water, (add water depending on the type and quality of rice)
  • ½ teaspoon shahjeera ((caraway seeds) or jeera (cumin seeds))
  • 1 small tej patta ((indian bay leaf))
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or add as per taste
  • 3 medium sized garlic cloves (- roughly chopped)
  • ½ inch ginger (- roughly chopped)
  • ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 green cardamom
  • 2 cloves
  • ½ inch cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoon oil (- any neutral flavor oil)
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 medium onion, (finely chopped)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 green chili (- chopped)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder ((or cayenne pepper or paprika))
  • 250 grams okra ((bhindi or ladies finger) - chopped in 1 to 1.5 cm roundels)
  • salt as required
  • few chopped coriander leaves ((cilantro leaves - optional)

Method

cooking rice

  1. Rinse 1 cup oof rice first very well in water. Then soak for 20 to 30 minutes. After 20 to 30 minutes drain all the water from the rice. Keep the rice aside.
  2. On a full heat, heat 3.5 to 4 cups water in a pan. Then add ½ tsp shahjeera (caraway seeds) or jeera (cumin seeds), 1 small tej patta, ¼ tsp salt or add as per taste.
  3. Bring the water to a boil. Then add the rice and lightly stir. Do not reduce the flame.
  4. Cook the rice till its completely done. Strain in a colander. Keep the cooked rice aside.

prepping okra

  1. Rinse 250 grams bhindi in water. Wipe them dry and then chop them in 1 to 1.5 cm roundels. Keep aside.

crushing spices-herbs to a paste

  1. In a mortar-pestle take the following spices & herbs - 3 medium-sized garlic (roughly chopped), 1/2 inch ginger (roughly chopped), 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1 green cardamom, 2 cloves, 1/2 inch cinnamon.
  2. Crush to a semi fine paste.

Making okra rice

  1. In a kadai or pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle on low to medium heat.
  2. Then add chopped onions.
  3. Stir well and saute the onions on low to medium heat till they turn translucent stirring often. Do not brown onions. Just saute till translucent.
  4. Now add the crushed semi-fine paste.
  5. Next add curry leaves and chopped green chili.
  6. Stir and saute for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. If you want, you can also add 1 medium chopped tomato at this step and saute till it becomes pulpy.
  7. Now add turmeric powder and red chili powder. Quickly stir.
  8. Immediately add the chopped okra. Lightly mix with the rest of the ingredients.
  9. Add salt as per taste. Also do keep in mind that we have added a bit of salt while cooking rice too.
  10. Mix everything very well.
  11. Without covering with a lid, on a low flame to medium heat, saute the okra. Stir at intervals. Also do not add any water. Regulate flame as required.
  12. Saute till the okra is cooked well and softened.
  13. Now add the rice in parts to the okra. Even if the rice is slightly sticky like the one I had, then also no issues. Just break the lumps as you go along mixing the okra. The cooked rice has to be warm or at room temperature when you add it to the okra.
  14. Mix the rice with the okra very well. Switch off the heat. If after mixing rice with okra, you feel salt is less, then sprinkle some more salt and mix again.
  15. Serve okra rice hot or warm accompanied with a veggie salad, raita or curd. You can garnish this ladies finger rice with some chopped coriander leaves if you want.

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.