Go Back
+ servings
a close up shot of bhindi masala recipe served in a plate.
Print Pin
4.95 from 17 votes

Bhindi Recipe (Pakistani)

A quick bhindi recipe for lunch or side dish that tastes homely and yummy.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Pakistani
Keyword bhindi recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 276kcal

Ingredients

  • 500 gram okra (bhindi)
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • cup oil (teel)

Spices

  • ½ tablespoon chopped garlic (lahsan)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds or powder (zeera)
  • ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds optional
  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder (sookha dhanya)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
  • ½ tablespoon ginger  paste (adrak)
  • 1 tablespoon green chili paste (hari mirch)
  • ½ teaspoon salt more to taste

Other

  • 2 medium onions chopped
  • 3 medium tomatoes chopped
  • 1-2 tablespoon tamarind pulp
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 3-4 medium green chilli slitted and seeds removed

Instructions

Prepare Okra

  • Wash and dry okra on a towel. Chop off the end and cut the okra in small pieces.
  • Dry roast okra in a pan on medium heat with constant stirring so the sticky threads burn for 5-7 minutes. We need the okra to be slightly soft and half cooked. Set aside. Watch video.

Make Gravy

  • Simultaneously, heat oil in a seperate pan and fry garlic, fenugreek and cumin until lightly golden. Add the remaining ingredients in spices list. Give it all a stir and fry for few second.
  • Now, add chopped onion and fry until the onions are translucent and soft.
  • Then add the tomatoes, tamarind pulp and sugar. Cover and cook until gravy is thick and oil separates on the sides of the pan.
  • Next, add the roasted okra to the onion-tomato gravy and mix well. And cook for 5-7 minutes covering the lid until Okra is throughly cooked. Add the slitted green chilies.
  • Yummy Okra (bhindi ) is ready.

Video

Notes

  • Okra: Select okra carefully. Fresh, small organic okra makes the best bhindi masala. Make sure the okra is absolutely dry before cutting.
  • Onion: Most people prefer loads of onion in bhindi masala but you can use less if you like.
  • Tomato: You can substitute tomato with tomato puree. I do that all the time.
  • Ginger, garlic, and green chili: Use chopped garlic that easily turns golden in the tempering. If you use freshly minced ginger and chilies, the taste would be enhanced.
  • Tamarind: This ingredient adds some tartness to the bhindi masala. I sometimes substitute it with imli chutney or other tamarind-based sauce like BBQ sauce. Just skip the sugar if using any sauce or chutney.
  • Sugar: Very little sugar addition helps enhance the taste of veggies.
  • Oil or fats: Use any neutral cooking oil. In Pakistan, freshly pressed mustard oil is used to cook vegetables that's what I used in the video.

Nutrition

Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 725mg | Potassium: 732mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 1669IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 2mg