Bindi masala a popular vegetarian Indian dish also popular in other parts of the Indian sub continent. Bindi is the Indian word for okra or some may know it as lady finger.
Here I will be sharing a very easy and super delicious bindi masala recipe. The bindi/okra are stir fried in onions and tomatoes with Indian spices to give a amazingly delicious taste. No wonder bindi masala is so popular, the taste pretty much speaks for itself.
I love this dish and I have seen a couple of different variations of cooking bindi masala/stir fry. Bindi needs flavors to bring out the taste so a bland bindi masala won’t do it and won’t satisfy your taste buds. Basically I have had a couple of different bindi masala dishes and those that left me wanting more were those dishes that were packed with flavors. So after trying some recipes out from friends and family I decided to cook my style of bindi masala which my family and I absolutely love.
Best way to serve bindi masala is with roti’s or naan bread. Warm roti’s and bindi masala is definitely the perfect combo. Bindi masala also taste great with steamed white rice and a side of dhal, a plate full of comfort food.
Preparing the bindi/okra
Wash and rinse the bindi in a colander under water. Let the bindi completely dry. The reason for this is when you go to cut the bindi up it will become pretty slimy. I even like to wash the bindi the night before and leave it to dry then I cut it up the next morning. This helps to reduce the slimy texture and you can also cut them up very easily too.
In my opinion the best way to cut okra up is by keeping them slightly big in size and not small pieces as this will increase the amount of the slimy texture. I like to cut them up at a angle. If it’s a big okra then you could cut it in 2 even places at an angle and get a total of 3 pieces from one single okra. It really depends how small or big you want the pieces to be. There is no right and wrong really. Cutting at an angle look’s that much appealing and the bigger the pieces the less likely to get mashed up during the cooking process.
Other ingredients
Onions
The more the onions the better the taste really. The masala is made up from the onions and tomatoes which is the main base of the dish. So depending on how much okra you will be cooking you can decide on the amount of onions that will be needed. In my recipe I will be using approximately 500 grams of bindi/okra so then I would use 1 fairly large onion or two medium onions. Cut the onions up into thin slices. In a heavy bottom wok or sauté pan add in the onions with some oil and some salt and cook until golden.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes this is like the key ingredient in giving so much of the flavor and texture to the dish. A sweet and tangy taste that the tomatoes bring out to the dish. Also the tomatoes add to the beautiful color too, that beautiful red hue and great base to the masala. More the tomatoes the merrier lol. I like to use cocktail tomatoes, these tomatoes are a smaller variety tomato which are a little larger than the cherry or grape tomato. These tomatoes are packed full of flavor and are kept on their vine when sold in stores. So I like to use 3-4 tomatoes thinly sliced or cut into wedges. You could of course use any type of tomato that you prefer. The tomatoes are added into the onions once the onions turn golden. The tomatoes are cooked until soft.
Spices
Once the onions and tomatoes are cooked down then in go the spices. The spices that are used are turmeric, chili and coriander powder. These are common Indian spices and they go perfectly with the okra. The spices are cooked to remove any raw flavors, usually for 2-3 minutes. When you start to see some oil floating around the spices then you know it is cooked and in go the vegetables.
Once the bindi are added to the masala then everything is mixed in well, so the bindi are well coated with masala. The flame is turned to medium high and the bindi are cooked for 10 minutes with the pan covered. Stirring once in between just a make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan. After 10 minutes the flame is turned down to medium and the bindi are cooked for an additional 10 minutes uncovered stirring in between. By this time the bindi should be cooked.
Garnish
Green chilies can be added to the bindi masala just before taking it off the heat and also a handful of fresh chopped cilantro which will give the dish that extra great flavor.
Serve this mouthwatering tasty bindi masala, okra stir fry with warm roti’s or steamed white rice.
Bindi Masala, Okra Stir Fry
Course: MainCuisine: IndianDifficulty: Easy4-6
servings10
minutes20
minutesEasy Indian Bindi Masala recipe
Ingredients
500 grams bindi/okra washed and cut up
3 tablespoons of oil
1 large onion thinly sliced
2 teaspoons of salt
2 medium tomatoes thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander power
2-3 green chilies sliced
Handful of freshly cut cilantro
Directions
- Wash and rinse the bindi in a colander under water. Let the bindi completely dry
- Cut the bindi at a angle roughly 1 inch pieces
- In a heavy bottom wok or sauté pan add in the oil and the onions with some salt and cook until golden on a medium flame
- Add in the sliced tomatoes and cook the tomatoes until soft, 3-4 minutes
- Add in the spices one by one, turmeric, chili and coriander powder
- Cook the spices with the onions and tomatoes for 2-3 minutes on a medium flame until you start to see some oil floating around
- Add in the cut bindi/okra, stir well to ensure the okra is mixed in well with the spices
- Cover and cook on medium high flame for 10 minutes lightly stirring once in between until tender
- Uncover and cook for another 10 minutes on medium flame, stirring lightly once or twice (too much stirring will cause the bindi to become mushy)
- Garnish with green chilies and fresh cilantro, stir and take off the heat
- Serve hot with rice or roti’s.
Notes
- Any leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in a airtight container for up to 3 days.
