Bhindi Masala – Okra Curry
Bhindi Masala or Okra Curry is a delicious Indian curry in which okra or ladies finger is cooked in a curry sauce and served with roti/chapati. I have added bell pepper to this dish which a twist from the original recipe.
Ingredients:
- Okra – 2 lb
- Chopped onion – 1 1/2 cup
- Chopped tomato – 1 cup
- Bell pepper – 1
- Green chilli – 2
- Curry leaves – 1 string
- Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
- Chopped cilantro – 1/2 cup
- Crushed coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Cumin powder – 1 tsp
- Coriander powder – 1 tsp
- Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
- Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
- Oil
- Salt to taste
Method of Preparation:
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.
- When they splutter add freshly crushed coriander seeds and then add chopped onions.
- Add turmeric powder and mix well followed by add the ginger garlic paste.
- After cooking for 2 minutes add chopped green chilies and curry leaves.
- Saute them and then add tomatoes.
- Add a little salt so that tomatoes will be cooked fast and let the tomatoes soften.
- Add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and chili powder and mix well.
- In between, heat 2 tsp of oil in a frying pan and add the cut okra and toss it for a couple of minutes.
- Add a little salt, cover and cook the okra till for 5 to 6 minutes stirring every 2 minutes. Okra will be browned and almost cooked. Do not let it become mushy.
- Now add cubed bell peppers to the onion tomato gravy and sprinkle some water.
- Let the bell pepper cook until it is soft and then add fried okra.
- Gently mix them and add about 1/2 cup of water. Let it come to a boil and add chopped cilantro, mix well.
- Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat stirring every 5 minutes. A thick curry is obtained.
- Remove from heat and Bhindi Masala is ready.
🙂 Serve hot with Chappathy/Parota.
33 Comments
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wow, looks very lovely and spicy…, i love okra
Mmm, looks and sounds delish…
Just wondering, how does one handle frozen okra? I have tried with it before but failed miserably – it just goes soggy and mushy 🙁 How, if possible, would I use frozen okra in this recipe?
add little bit of lime juice while adding the okra to the curry paste
but whr hv u used coriander seeds in this entire recipe gayathri??
Hi Sumita, Thanks for pointing it out. I will do the changes.Thanks again.
Thanks jayashri.
Hi pinteresque, I have never used frozen okra. But you can try this. Thaw frozen okra and drain the water. Just deep fry the okra in any oil that you use so that it gets cooked and will not become soggy. When you deep fry it, remove it when it is green and cooked. Hope this helps you.
hey, Nice recipe.. Looks awesome am gonna try it now… BTW, the 2nd line, is that cumin or mustrad seeds??
Thanks for your comments. It is cumin.
Hi All !
Every other ingredient used seems fine but i was a bit skeptical for using bell pepper (capsicum). Not sure if it will blend well with Okra. Has anyone else tried it???
Well I am just about to try this and my wife told me that before frying it in oil the okra has to be completely dry so it doesn’t become soggy……..well lets see if that works !!
Amazing!! Tasted delish first attempt. Belly and cooking ego both quite satisfied, thank you for a well written and tasting recipe!
This was really good – I cooked it for my husband (he loves lady fingers) and he thought it was amazing. I didn’t use the coriander seeds, and i tried it without the green pepper because i didn’t have it the first time and it still was delish. Thanks for the recipe!
Nice recipe..I’m going to try it now. Hope it won’t be slimy!!!
A good one. I too prepared masala bhindi (slightly different). Here’s the recipe: http://www.bestofkanchan.com/indian-recipes/masala-bhindi-spicy-lady-fingers/
Thanks all of you for the lovely comments.
hi nithu
am newly married and settled in switzerland…my husband comes home for lunch and when i would be wondering what to prepare for lunch its your website which helps me a lot and i have tried quiet a lot recipes of yours and my husband loved it 🙂 thanks spicytasty team
Am so happy that our website helps you in your cooking. Hoping to get your continuous support and love. Thanks Riya.
Hi Nithu,
I tried this recipe and it came out very well. This dish tastes even better if a small amount of tamarind paste or tamarind juice is added(i tried this way but if you are adding tamarind paste then omit bell pepper). this is a best combo with curd rice or dal 🙂
someone had asked about frozen okra. here is the solution.
lay them single layer on cookie sheet in the oven 325f for abt 15-20 min, that will dry it up enough for regular cooking without being mushy.
nice site. keep up the good work.
Thanks Riya.
Thanks Ram. Appreciate it.
Hi Nithu! I just made it and ate the whole thing in one go. Haha! So delicious – I loved ur recipe, thanks very much!!
Amanda 🙂
Turned out great, but when do you add the coriander seed and garam masala?
Thanks Amanda and Will. And Will, I have now corrected the recipe. Thanks for letting me know.
Great dish, lovely depth of flavour and very filling too. Better than any bjindi bhaji I’ve had in Indian restaurants.
Highly recommended, thanks very much.
Thanks Nick. I am glad you liked it.
Hey there!
lovely recipe – tried it out myself last night and it was fantastic! (I used a little more turmeric and chilly powder though – but that’s just to taste) – and I agree with nick – better than any bhindi masala in restaurants!
A question though, when you say cilantro (chopped) – do you just mean… dhania? I ask because where I live, the grocery stores use a distinction between cilantro leaves and coriander leaves, so a clarification would be awesome.
Hi Eira, I am glad you like it. And I meant coriander leaves. Here cilantro and coriander leaves are the same. Thanks for your comments.
Great website. Plenty of useful info here. I’m sending it to a few pals ans also sharing in delicious. And naturally, thank you on your effort!
Hi Nithu,
I prepared this recipe twice and my husband loved it. Thank you so much for sharing such wonderful recipes. May God bless you and your friends.
Thanks all of you.
Hi Ancy, I am glad you liked it. Keep visiting for more new recipes.
great Work Nithu, I have been trying new dishes all my life… i thought of making Okra this time… so no experiments! i followed your recipe… Excellent .. do update me if you have more to share.. i love ya style of food…
Sure. Thank you for the comments.
Tried it and it was a triumph! My partner Michele said that it was the best currie I have made in five years, I guess that does not mean much but she had three serves. Though I did not include bell peppers as we did not have any. Loved it myself.
Thank you!
Arthur