Easy Bhindi Masala Spicy Okra Stir Fry My Food Story

on Nov 19, 2019, Updated Aug 22, 2020 I’m so excited about sharing a firm childhood favorite with you today! The rest of the world might not understand how to cook bhindi/ bhendi/ okra but we Indians absolutely love this vegetable and know how to treat it well. So no slimy okra here. Just a really amazing vegetable that’s cooked perfectly so that it still retains a little crunch and soaks up all the flavor that’s added to it. We have a gazillion ways of cooking bhindi, but this Bhindi Masala tops my list. Actually it shares the #1 spot with this baked kururi bhindi that I shared a few weeks ago. Check out: Baked Kurkuri Bhindi (Super crunchy baked okra chips tossed in spices) This is a quick and easy recipe that starts with stir frying some aromatics in mustard oil. Mustard oil adds a nice, smoky flavor to this recipe but you can easily swap it with any other vegetable oil. Ginger, garlic, green chillies and onions form the base of this stir fry, and then once the okra is 80% cooked with spices, a roughly diced tomato is added for a little sourness and tang. The biggest complaint I hear when I talk about bhindi or okra is its slimy texture. So here’s the thing, this is a special vegetable and if it’s not treated well, it can become slimy.

How to cook bhindi/ okra so it’s not slimy

Always make sure you wash and pat dry bhindi before cooking. Moisture is what adds to the sliminess. I always wash it in a colander and then spread it out on a kitchen cloth or tissue paper and pat it dry. If possible, you can wash it a few hours ahead and just let it air dry.Add a souring agent while cooking. This can be amchoor or raw mango powder, tomatoes etc. The souring agent helps cut out the sliminess.Don’t cook it covered. Always make sure to cook bhindi uncovered. Any moisture that gets trapped when its covered will make it slimy.Don’t stir fry it too much. Once you add bhindi and mix all the ingredients, let it sit and cook on its own. Stir it once in a while so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Also check out more tips about cooking okra so it’s not slimy You’ll see a few different versions of bhindi masala. How its cooked can depend on which part of India the recipe comes from. This one is a punjabi bhindi masala with spices like turmeric, chilli powder, amchoor powder and coriander powder. Along with the onions and tomatoes, they coat the bhindi and form like a dry curry around it. Soooo good!!