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An easy, 15-minute Bhindi Fry with bold flavor and crispy, non-slimy okra. The secret? A handful of spices and high-heat pan-frying for a smoky, blistered finish. Perfect as a quick lunch with roti or a side dish to round out a meal.
15-Minte Bhindi Fry (Indian-Style Okra)
At my local Desi store, there’s usually a pack of fresh, pre-washed, pre-cut okra that’s all too enticing for a mom after the kids’ soccer practice. I often use this gift of pre-prepped okra to make a lazy lunch of Bhindi from Priya Krishna’s cookbook, Indian-ish.
Priya describes this okra as “slightly charred, flavor-packed little morsels”, and I agree. The spicy, tangy flavor and crispy, blistered texture of the okra is addictive – so much so that my 5-year-old asks for it without roti.
Her recipe takes well to all kinds of adaptations – I skip asafetida, add red chili powder to round out the heat, and sprinkle in some kalonji (nigella seeds) to amp up the super subtle achari flavors.
Note: This isn’t the standard Pakistani punjabi-style Bhindi recipe (my mother-in-law always asks why I didn’t add onions 😅). But after making it more than half a dozen times, I know this is one you’ll want to make again and again too.
Notes on a Few Ingredients:
- Carom seeds (ajwain): According to Priya, this is a key ingredient that pairs well with okra. I’ve actually tried this without carom once and it still worked beautifully.
- Nigella seeds: Not an ingredient in the original recipe, but I love the oniony flavor it adds. (Again, recipe takes well to adaptations!).
- Red chili powder: Another ingredient not in the original recipe. I think the subtle heat rounds out the spices of the dish and complements the turmeric and green chili pepper.
- Green chili: I most often use Indian finger green chili which is sitting right next to the okra at the grocery store I mentioned, but this works with a small Serrano or 2 Thai chilies as well.
- Dry mango powder (amchur): Adds essential acid to the dish. You may sub with lemon or lime or even CHAAT MASALA.
- Okra: The original recipe uses frozen okra, which my recipe tester tried and found to still have slime after specified cook time. If using frozen, cook longer than indicated.
How to make Bhindi Fry
- Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet (at least 12”) over medium heat. You want a large, wide pan, which gives your okra space to reduce slime. Once hot, sizzle the whole spices to draw out any bitterness.
- Stir in the turmeric, red chili powder, and the green chili. Cook for about 10 seconds to bloom the spices and cook out the sharp flavor from the green chili.
- Add the okra and increase the heat to med-high. Toss to coat the okra in the oil. Add the coriander powder (I use homemade), fennel seeds, and salt. Once you add the okra, you don’t need to stir it constantly, just enough to help it char evenly.
- Continue cooking, stirring often, until there’s no more slime left. At first, you’ll see plenty of slime. Around 8 minutes in, there will be no slime visible on the outside, but there’s still some slime inside the okra. Here you want continue cooking until the okra is slime-free on the inside, almost charred on the outside. It should be a deep forest green, and brown in some parts.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the dry mango powder, and mix gently for another minute. Turn off the heat. Serve hot with warm roti, paratha, or other bread, or just snack on alone.
How to Add Onions to this Bhindi
Missing onions? Onions no doubt add dimension to a simple Bhindi Fry, but they take away from the quick and easy, punchy vibes that I love about this recipe. If your mother-in-law would also disapprove😄, here’s how to add them:
- Quarter and thinly slice a small to medium yellow onion.
- Before cooking the okra – Heat your pan over med-high heat and add 2 tbsp oil, along with the onions.
- Sauté until the onions turn golden brown, 10-12 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove the onions from the pan and cook okra per the recipe. (I’ve tried cooking okra in the same dish as the onions, but find that the onions get overcooked whilst the okra isn’t yet crispy enough.)
- Once your okra has mostly cooked, add the onions and toss with the okra so the onions absorb the flavor.
Tried this recipe? If you have a minute, please consider leaving a comment telling me how it was! You can also take a quick picture and upload it directly into the comments. If you’re on Instagramplease tag me so I can see your creations. I truly love hearing from you. Thank you!
15-Minte Bhindi Fry (Indian-Style Okra)
- 3 tbsp neutral oil, such as avocado oil
- 1 tsp carom seeds, ad-
- 1 tsp nigella seeds, Kalonji (Optional)
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red chili powder, ¼ tsp for kid-friendly, up to ½ tsp if you want it spicy
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 large Indian green chili or small serrano chili, sliced
- 1 lb whole okra, tips removed and sliced into ~½-¾”/1.5 cm pieces (you’ll have around 13-14 oz remaining) – Note 1
- 1 tbsp coriander powder, preferably roughly ground
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, saunf
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp dry mango powder, amchur
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Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet (at least 12”) over medium heat. Once hot, add the carom seeds and nigella seeds (if using). Let them sizzle for about 30 seconds.
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Stir in the turmeric, red chili powder, and the green chili. Cook for about 10 seconds to bloom the spices.
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Add the okra and increase the heat to med-high. Toss to coat the okra in the oil. Add the coriander powder, fennel seeds, and salt.
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Continue cooking, stirring often, for 12 minutes, until there’s no more slime left (See Note 2). The okra should be shriveled, deep green, and well-charred.
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Reduce the heat to low, add the dry mango powder, and mix gently for another minute. Turn off the heat. Serve hot with roti, paratha, or other bread. See post for more serving ideas!
- Fresh vs Frozen Okra: The original recipe calls for 12-oz frozen, but I always use fresh okra when making this. (If using frozen, pan-fry for longer than indicated in the recipe to ensure slime-free, lightly charred okra.)
Note 2: At first, you’ll see plenty of slime. Around 8 minutes in, there’s no visible slime on the surface, but some remains inside. Keep cooking until the okra has no slime inside and is almost charred or blistered on the outside. It should turn a deep forest green with browned spots.
Tips:
- If okra isn’t fitting comfortably in the pan, you may have to allow a longer cook time. It helps to toss with a flat, wide spatula to turn and toss the okra.
- See post for how to add onions to the dish.
Recipe adapted from Priya Krishna’s Indian-ish.
Calories: 201kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Sodium: 604mg, Potassium: 502mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1299IU, Vitamin C: 36mg, Calcium: 143mg, Iron: 1mg