Bhindi masala is a very popular Indian okra recipe that's made by cooking okra with tomato, onion, and a few basic Indian spices. It's easy to make and is delicious. This simple home-style bhindi fry recipe is vegan and gluten-free.
To be honest, for years I could never have imagined adding tomatoes to any okra dish. My mother never cooked okra with tomatoes and I never tasted this combination anywhere else too.
So, I always assumed that tomatoes make okra slimy, until many years back, a friend of mine offered me to taste bhindi masala from her packed lunch. It was delicious.
Now it's one of the most frequently cooked bhindi recipes in my kitchen.
Whether you love okra or hate it, you must try this masala bhindi recipe at least once. If you love it, you will start loving it even more and if you hate it, you will start loving it.
Jump to:
- What is bhindi masala?
- What's needed to make this dish?
- Ingredient notes
- How to make (step by step instructions)?
- How to make slime-free okra?
- How to serve?
- How to store?
- Can bhindi masala be frozen?
- More recipe tips and tricks
- Frequently asked questions
- More bhindi (Indian okra) recipes
- More, easy vegetarian Indian recipes
- Recipe
What is bhindi masala?
Bhindi is the Hindi word for okra or lady's finger. Masala has two meanings- spice or the base of Indian curries that could be made with different ingredients. So, bhindi masala is basically Indian-style okra cooked with onion, tomato, and spices.
It's a very popular Indian vegetable dish that most Indians love and cook quite frequently when okra is in season.
Different regions of India may have slightly different ways of cooking it and the recipe which I am sharing is North Indian style bhindi masala.
What's needed to make this dish?
For this simple Indian okra masala recipe, you will need the ingredients shown below:
Ingredient notes
- Okra: Use fresh okra that's tender. Don't use the one that's too hard and feels woody, it will spoil the whole dish.
- Garam masala: It's a flavorful blend of spices used to flavor Indian dishes.
- Coriander powder: It's the powdered form of the seeds of coriander. You can buy it from the spice section of any Indian grocery store or make your own at home by grinding dried coriander seeds
- Cooking oil: I prefer making okra in mustard oil. You can use any cooking oil of your choice.
How to make (step by step instructions)?
Step 1: Heat oil in a cooking pot and add cumin seeds to it. Let the seeds splutter.
Step 2: Add sliced onion.
Step 3: Cook until the onion starts turning brown.
Step 4: Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder.
Step 5: Saute for a few seconds.
Step 6: Add chopped tomatoes and green chilies.
Step 7: Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.
Step 8: Add chopped okra.
Step 9: Gently mix everything.
Step 10: Cook uncovered on a medium flame for around 15 minutes or until the okra is nicely cooked. Gently stir after every 5-6 minutes.
Step 11: Once the okra is cooked, add salt, mix, and cook for another minute.
Step 12: Finally, add garam masala and mix.
Your delicious bhindi masala is ready to be served.
How to make slime-free okra?
A lot of people hate okra because it's slimy. Though I love okra, even I can't stand slimy okra.
Okra becomes slimy only if it's not cooked properly. If you also struggle to make slime-free okra, just follow the following basic tips while cooking okra
- The okra should be completely dry before getting cooked, so wash it a few hours in advance and allow it to dry completely before starting the cooking process.
- Don't add water to cook okra (exception is my stuffed okra recipe).
- Avoid covering the pan while cooking okra.
- Don't stir okra too much and even while stirring, stir gently.
- Add salt only when okra is completely cooked.
- Add something sour like dry mango powder, or lime juice, once it's cooked.
How to serve?
Bhindi Masala can be served hot or warm in any Indian meal of the day.
For breakfast, it's generally served with paratha (pan-fried Indian flatbread) or roti.
For lunch or dinner, it can be served with any Indian bread or as a side dish with rice and dal.
How to store?
To store, put it in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
Can bhindi masala be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze cooked bhindi masala in a freezer-safe container for 3-4 months.
However, in India freezing cooked food is generally not practiced and people prefer eating freshly cooked food that is consumed within the same day.
More recipe tips and tricks
- Don't make very small pieces of okra otherwise, they will break easily on getting stirred and turn slimy too.
- If you are using mustard oil for cooking, heat it until it reaches the smoking point then switch off the stove. Allow it to reach back to a manageable temperature before switching on the stove again and starting the cooking process.
- You may also add some minced garlic with the onion.
- Instead of chopping okra horizontally, for this recipe, you can also cut it vertically into around 2-inch-long and 0.5-inch wide pieces.
- If you don't like sliced onion in bhindi masala, you can also finely chop it and then use in the recipe. Personally, I love sliced onion with bhindi.
- Always use a heavy-bottomed pan to cook okra.
Frequently asked questions
Though frozen okra is not the best choice for making any Indian-style okra dish if you couldn't find fresh okra, you can use frozen ones.
Just make sure not to thaw them before using, add directly to the masala, and cook on medium to high flame.
Yes, they both are different names for the same vegetable.
If you follow all the tips I have shared to make slime-free okra, you will get to know okra is cooked once it turns completely slime free.
More bhindi (Indian okra) recipes
Okra is very popular in India and it's cooked in a lot of different ways. If you also want to try some other Indian-style okra recipes then the following links are worth checking:
More, easy vegetarian Indian recipes
Looking for other easy vegetarian recipes from India? Don't miss checking the following links:
If you try any of my recipes, please rate ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ it on the recipe card and also leave your feedback in the comments section below. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and subscribe to my youtube channel.
Recipe
Bhindi Masala
Equipment
- Cooking pot with a heavy bottom
Ingredients
- 500 grams okra
- 1 medium-sized red onion thinly sliced
- 1 large tomato finely chopped
- 1-2 hot green chili peppers finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ tablespoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- Salt to taste
- 1.5 tablespoons mustard oil/ any cooking oil of your choice
Instructions
- Wash okra and pat dry. Leave on a kitchen towel for a few hours to ensure that it's completely dry.
- When okra gets dry, chop off the head and pointed tip and then cut them into medium size pieces.
- Heat oil in a cooking pot and add cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds start spluttering, add sliced onion and cook until it starts turning brown.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder. Saute for a few seconds.
- Add chopped tomatoes and green chilies. Cook for 4-5 minutes on medium flame or until the tomatoes turn mushy and are nicely cooked.
- Next, add chopped okra. Cook on a medium flame for around 15 minutes or until okra gets nicely cooked and becomes slime free. Gently stir occasionally after every 5-6 minutes to avoid burning.
- Once okra is cooked, add salt and mix. Cook for another minute.
- Finally, add garam masala. Mix and switch off the stove.
Video
Notes
- The okra should be completely dry before getting cooked, so wash it a few hours in advance and allow it to dry completely before starting the cooking process.
- Don't add water to okra while cooking.
- Avoid covering the cooking pot while cooking okra.
- Don't stir okra too much and even while stirring, stir gently.
- Add salt only at the last stage when okra is completely cooked.
- Add something sour like dry mango powder or lime juice once is cooked. This also helps in getting rid of the slime.
- More recipe tips and tricks are given within the post above. Please follow them to make this recipe.
The best. Family loves this recipe.
Thank you Linnie.
Can frozen okra be used? Excited to try this new recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Kristen. Yes, you can use frozen okra in this recipe.
This is an easy and delicious recipe. We love it!!
Thanks a lot Linnie.
I made this, and it was yummy! But did you mean a large Shallot rather a red onion? I used a large red onion, and it turned out pretty onion heavy, and didn’t look like your photo at all. Also, I used 2 large green peppers. Were they supposed to be jalapeños? In your photos the pepper looks more yellow. Albeit it was still delicious. I would love to make it again. Just want to make sure I’m making it correctly :-).
Thanks, Jesika. I use red onion as I like the combination of onion and okra, if you feel it's too oniony for you, you can use shallots too. I have used green chili peppers. Sorry, if that created confusion. I will update the recipe card so that others don't get confused too. Thanks for sharing your feedback with me.
Bhindi is our favorite veggie. My lil ones favorite too, so when in season, i make it very often. Bhindi masala looks very inviting, i add few paneer cubes too, that way i satiate my elder ones paneer craving too!!
Thanks Priya. I never tried the combination of Bhindi and Paneer, will try it soon.
I often make variety of bhindi sabzi and this kind is also prepared. It turns out tasty and ideal with chapati or phulka.
I liked your tips and tricks about okra cooking. This is one of our favorite curries.
Thanks Uma.
A friend of mine gave me okra and I was in search of what to do with it. I happened upon your recipe and made it this evening for dinner. It was amazing. Unfortunately okra is never in any of our supermarkets. What would you use for a substitute because I love all the other flavors in this dish and would love to make it again
Hi Henrietta. Thank you so much for sharing your feedback. I am glad to know that you liked it. A lot of vegetables in India are cooked in a similar way. You can make it with boiled potatoes, mushrooms, French beans, eggplants, cauliflower, paneer (if not vegan), etc. You can check similar recipes on my blog aloo baingan, aloo gobhi, aloo matar. Hope that helps.
We love to try different recipes with Okra. I usually make stir fry but haven't tried this version. Looks delicious.
Thanks a lot Lathiya.
Vandana I've grown up eating dry version of bhindi sabji, so once when my daughter insisted that I make it with onion and tomato, I too was worried about the slimy factor. However, its such a tasteful way to enjoy okra. Love to have it with hot rotis.
Thanks a lot Mayuri.
This bhindi masala is one of my all time favourites. Looking so yummy and full of flavours. I am tempted enough to make it right now and enjoy with some chapati and a bowl of boondi raita on the side.
Thank you Anshu.
Bhindi masala is one of our most favorite dry subzi and we love it with roti or rice. We grow a lot of bhindi in summer. IIn south we don't use onion or tomato but when I am pairing it with roti, I make it very similar to yours. Looks so delicious.
Thanks Sandhya.
This bhindi masala recipe looks so tempting, Vandana. I like all the tips you have given too. I cannot wait to get fresh bhindi now.
Thanks a lot Sandhya 🙂
Like you, we never had okra with tomato while growing up. But I tasted the best Bhindi masala in a restaurant and absolutely loved it. Thanks for your delicious recipe, I will try it for my family 🙂
Thanks Pavani 🙂
I too make bhindi ki sabji, but don't add tomatoes. Sounds delicious and easy recipe. Nice tips ????????
Thanks, Jolly. Yes, I agree a lot of people don't like adding tomatoes to bhindi.
I am a die hard fan of bhindi & can eat it 3 times a day 24×7×365. Yours looking as much tempting that i am feeling like grabbing the bowl right now from the screen.
Thanks Shailender. Bhindi is my favorite too 🙂
Bhindi is our all time favourite too. It's cooked in my kitchen too very frequently during summers.
Loved your tips to make perfect bhindi masala.
Thank you for yummy bhindi masala recipe.
Thanks Lata.
Amazing bhindi masala. It's my most favorite veggie. I can have it all time all day ???????????????? nice easy recipe and tip. Perfect.
Thanks Ruchi. I can also have bhindi everyday :).
I love okra any way, it's the best..
Same here Becky, I love okra too and can have it in any form.