Aloo bhindi fry is a simple North Indian style stir fry recipe made with okra and potatoes. It's a vegan and gluten-free dish that is gently flavored with Indian spices and can be served in any Indian meal.
Like most other cuisines, regular Indian home-cooked food is also completely different from what's sold in restaurants around the world. It's a lot simpler and easy to make.
That doesn't mean that home-cooked Indian dishes are less flavorful. In fact, they have more balanced flavors and are healthier too.
Today, I am sharing one such simple Indian-style stir fry recipe called aloo bhindi ki sabzi or just aloo bhindi.
Aloo is the Hindi word for potato and bhindi for okra or lady finger.
So, aloo bhindi is basically stir-fried okra and potatoes.
Jump to:
- What goes in aloo bhindi ki sabzi?
- Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
- How to make (step-by-step instructions)?
- Serving suggestions
- How to store?
- Can it be frozen?
- Reheating tips
- Recipe tips and tricks
- Frequently asked questions
- Other easy Indian okra recipes
- Simple Indian-style vegetable recipes
- Recipe
What goes in aloo bhindi ki sabzi?
To make bhindi aloo fry, you need the ingredients shown below:
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
- Okra: Use fresh and tender okra.
- Potato: Any variety of potatoes can be used.
- Dried mango powder: It's used to add sourness to a lot of Indian dishes. You can find this ingredient in the spice section of any Indian grocery store. It's also known as amchoor powder. If you can't find it, add some lime juice once the dish is cooked.
- Cooking oil: In North India, generally, mustard oil is preferred for cooking okra. But, you can use any oil of choice.
How to make (step-by-step instructions)?
Step 1: Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. It will take only a few seconds.
Step 2: Add chopped potatoes and cook until they turn golden brown from all the sides. Keep stirring in between.
Step 3: Add chopped green chilies.
Step 4: Add chopped okra.
Step 5: Mix and cook uncovered for 12-15 minutes. Gently stir 2-3 times to make sure it's not burning.
Step 6: Once the okra is cooked, gently push everything towards the edges of the pot and create some space in the center. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder. Stir them for a few seconds.
Step 7: Add salt and then mix everything. Cook uncovered for another 2-3 minutes and then switch off the stove.
Step 8: Finally, add dried mango powder and mix.
Your quick and easy aloo bhindi masala is ready to be served.
Serving suggestions
Aloo bhindi is usually served hot or warm with any Indian flat bread like roti or paratha. It's a very common meal that is packed by Indian mothers in the school tiffin box for their kids.
You can also serve it as a side dish with rice and any dal to enjoy a complete Indian meal.
How to store?
To store, allow the dish to reach room temperature and then transfer to an air-tight container. It will be fine for 2-3 days.
Can it be frozen?
Yes, bhindi aloo fry can be frozen in freezer-safe containers for 3-4 months.
Reheating tips
The best way to re-heat aloo bhindi or any bhindi dish is by using a microwave as you don't need to stir okra a lot if reheating in a microwave. Okra breaks easily if stirred a lot.
However, if don't want to use a microwave, you can reheat on the stove top also by following a few tips:
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan to reheat bhindi.
- Add 1-2 teaspoons of oil to the pan, heat the oil, and then add the dish. This will allow you to stir the dish lesser.
- If you don't want to add oil, add 1-2 tablespoons of water, cover the pan and then reheat it for a few minutes. Check 1-2 times in between and gently stir if required. Adding a little water to cooked okra won't make it slimy.
Recipe tips and tricks
- Make sure to wash the okra in advance and ensure it's completely dry when you are cooking it.
- Cut equal-sized pieces of okra and potatoes.
- Before adding okra make sure the potatoes are almost cooked.
- Don't add spices in the beginning otherwise, they will get burned. Add only once okra is cooked.
- If possible, instead of stirring okra with a spatula try stirring it by moving the pan. This also helps in making it slime-free.
- Dried mango powder gives a very nice tangy taste to this dish. If you don't have that add some lime juice after switching off the stove.
- You can also add some sliced onion to it and saute for a few minutes before adding the potatoes.
Frequently asked questions
Though not the best choice for this dish, you can use frozen okra also to make aloo bhindi masala if fresh okra is not available.
If using frozen okra, don't thaw it before adding to the dish. Also, cook it on medium-high flame.
If you don't eat potatoes, they can be skipped and a simple bhindi fry can be made by following the same recipe.
Other easy Indian okra recipes
If you looking for more easy Indian okra recipes to try, don't miss checking the following links:
Simple Indian-style vegetable recipes
Do you want to try cooking other vegetables in the Indian style? The following recipes are worth checking:
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ in the recipe card below. You can also follow me on Instagram, Youtube, and Pinterest.
Recipe
Aloo bhindi
Equipment
- 1 Cooking pot
Ingredients
- 500 grams okra chopped
- 1 large potato chopped into small cubes
- 1-2 green chilies finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ tablespoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon dried mango powder adjust to taste
- 1.5 tablespoons mustard oil/ any cooking oil of your choice
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- Add potato cubes and cook for 5-6 minutes or until they start turning brown from the outside. Keep stirring in between.
- Add chopped okra and green chilies. Mix and cook uncovered for around 12-15 minutes. Gently stir 2-3 times in between.
- Once the okra is nicely cooked, push the okra and potato cubes towards the corner to create some space in the center. Put turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder in that space and saute them for a few seconds.
- Add salt and mix everything.
- Cook for another 2-3 minutes and then switch off the stove.
- Finally, add amchoor powder (dried mango powder) and mix.
Notes
- Cut potatoes into small pieces, they will get cooked faster.
- Always cook okra in a heavy-bottomed pan.
- Wash okra in advance to ensure that they are completely dry when you cook them otherwise they will turn slimy.
- Don't stir okra too much, it breaks very easily. Also, stirring too much makes them slimy.
- Don't add powdered spices and salt until the okra is completely cooked.
- More recipe tips and tricks are given within the post above, please follow them to make this dish.
WOW ๐
I didn't have mango powder so i added mango chunks instead๐ฅญ๐ฅญ๐ฅญ (towards the end so it wouldn't stick!!! I added a cup) and it turned out GREAT.๐ฅณ Slimy, but I enjoyed.๐๐ Yes, a very good recipe that I shall serve to my family multiple times in the future๐๐ THEY LOVE IT. (especially the kiddos)
Thank you for your comment, I am so happy to know that you and the kids enjoyed it too.
Delicious and easy! I added some chopped onion with the potatoes because I love crispy onions with potatoes ๐
Thanks, Carly. Thanks for sharing your feedback, glad to know that you liked it. I also make this dish with onions too.