Bhindi Masala Gravy

Bhindi Masala Gravy is a creamy spiced, delightful okra curry that is ready in less than 30 minutes! This Bhindi Masala is a very popular Indian curry, and I believe it is prepared in several different ways.

Why you will love this Bhindi Masala?

If you dislike the okra in stew and curries due to sliminess, you will definitely like this dish. In this curry, the okra has the crunch minus the slime.

It is packed with lots of flavor from earthy spices.

The yogurt at the ends add a mild sour taste and creaminess to the dish.

If you love okra, you must try kurkure bhindi and spice stuffed okra. You could pair it with rice or Indian flat bread. It’s a delicious everyday healthy meal that barely needs any effort.

Did you know Bhindi/Okra is rich in folic acid, vitamin B6 and is low in calories?

How to look for best Okra (Bhindi) for this Bhindi Masala Gravy?

• Look for bright green okra with fresh fuzz feel on its surface.
• Big size okras can be tougher and cooks better in other recipes. For this particular recipe, look for tender ones so that they cook faster.
• Good quality okra not only looks fresh, but also snaps easily at the end.

It is always best to cook okra within a day or two of the purchase, but if you have to store it, use a brown bag and store it in the refrigerator.

How to avoid slime in Bhindi/Okra?

This Bhindi Masala will not taste slimy at all. Follow the steps below to avoid the mushy or slimy texture. 

• I often try to plan a little in advance, at least the previous night if possible. Just wash the okra and leave it in the colander for a few hours.
• However, if you don’t have that much time in hand, just wash and pat dry using a kitchen towel.
• Before you cook in spices or add to gravy, it’s always a good idea to stir fry the bhindi in a little oil, uncovered and on medium high heat. This will give it that lovely crunch without making it mushy.

Ingredients for Bhindi Masala

Okra - Looks for bright green tender okra for the best flavor and taste. Avoid using frozen okra for this dish.

Onion, Tomato, Ginger, Garlic - Just like most Indian dishes, these basic ingredients are also required. You can, however, definitely make it without onion and garlic too.

Spices - The dish definitely calls for the lot of spices. Some are added straight to the hot oil at the beginning of the cooking. A mix of spice paste is added in the middle of the cooking. And at the finishing, garam masala powder and dried fenugreek leaves are added.

Yogurt with a little bit of wheat flour - My Mom follows this trick of adding little flour to yogurt before adding to any curry. This avoids the yogurt from splitting. If you want gluten free, then discard the flour and make sure to add thick yogurt right at the end of cooking and reduce the heat.

Steps to prepare Masala Bhindi

1: Slice the okra small and fry in a little oil, then take it off the pan.

2: To the same pan add a little more oil and cumin seeds, fennel seeds and dried fenugreek leaves.

3: Next, cook the onion along with ginger garlic paste. You can add one finely chopped green chili too for little heat.

4: Make a spice paste with cumin powder, coriander powder, chili powder and turmeric powder and add it to the pan. Cook until the raw flavor of the spices are gone.

5: Add the tomatoes and season with salt.

6: Cook the onion and tomato until it's softened like a jam.

7: Add the fried okra and stir it around to mix everything.

8: In a bowl, whisk the yogurt with flour and add it to the pan. Stir everything and keep the heat low at this point.

Step 9: Add Garam Masala powder

Step 10: Add dried fenugreek leaves and mix everything. Cook for 1 minute and the Bhindi Masala is ready.

While I enjoy the okra stir-fried, and stuffed Bhindi Masala, I also like to occasionally make it extra creamy by adding thick yogurt. The mild tang from the yogurt goes very well with okra.

Keynotes to remember when cooking with yogurt?

• Use thick unflavored yogurt. If it's too watery, just hang it and drain the water a little bit.
• Make sure to add the yogurt right at the end of the cooking while keeping the heat at medium to avoid curdling.

The okras that I used were not too big, and so I left it full, just the ends trimmed. But, if the bhindi/okra you are using are too big or if you prefer smaller bite size, do cut it in half.

I hope you will give this simple Bhindi Masala Gravy recipe a try! It’s easy and fuss free and quite healthy too. Also tastes very much like restaurant style.

Here are two more Bhindi/Okra recipes that we thoroughly enjoy:

Bharwa Masala Bhindi (Spice Stuffed Okra)

Cheena Badam Bhendi (Bengali Style Okra with Peanuts)

Bhindi Masala Gravy

Kankana Saxena

Bhindi Masala Gravy is a creamy spiced delightful okra curry that is ready in less than 30 minutes! It’s a very popular Indian curry.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Servings 3

Calories 140 kcal

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 8.20 oz okra
• 4.10 oz red onion (it’s 1 small size)
• 3.90 0z tomato (1 medium size)
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 inch fresh ginger
• ⅓ cup Thick yogurt
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 and ½ teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon fennel powder
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 and ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

 

• Trim both the edges of the okra (If the size of the okra is too big, cut it in half). Finely chop the onion and tomatoes. Finely chop the ginger and garlic.
• Place a skillet at medium heat and pour 1-tablespoon oil. Once the oil is hot enough, layer the okras. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon turmeric. Stir-fry for 4 minutes by tossing around frequently for even cooking. Take it off the pan once done.
• To the same pan, add 1 teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, fennel seeds, chopped ginger and garlic. Sauté for a few seconds and add the onion. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the spice powder (cumin, coriander, chili and fennel) with water and pour it to the pan. Sauté for 1 minute and add the tomato. Cook for a few minutes until the consistency looks soft like jam.
• Whisk yogurt with 1 teapsoon wheat flour and mix it around.
• Drop the stir-fried okra and gently toss it around.
• Crush the dried fenugreek leaves and sprinkle it evenly. Mix around everything and taste for salt. Add any, if needed.
• Serve warm with rice or Indian flat bread.

Video

Notes

Adding yogurt in curry can sometime split the curry. The trick is to first make sure you add yogurt at the end when everything is cooked. Secondly, keep the heat low.

A good hack I learned from my Mom is to whisk bit of flour in yogurt before adding it to the curry. This avoids splitting.

Nutrition

Serving: 3ServingsCalories: 140kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 3gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.04gSodium: 1184mgPotassium: 375mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 774IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 97mgIron: 2mg

Keyword 30 minutes meal, bhindi, curries, okra, spiced