This bhindi bhaji is super simple and easy to make that gets ready in 30 mins only (from prep to finish). This is a dry vegetable preparation from Maharashtra. In Marathi language, it is called bhendi chi bhaji.
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❤️About This Recipe
You’ll need only 10 ingredients (plus, salt).
This makes a quick weeknight dinner. Serve with phulka roti or simple dal-chawal.
Perfect to pack in the lunchbox: This bhindi bhaji makes filling lunch when packed with roti and kachumber.
Another Maharashtrian style bhindi dish - bharli bhendi.
🧾Ingredients
Here is the pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make bhendi chi bhaji.
Okra: When you buy okra keep in mind that they should be long, fresh-looking and dark green in color. Don’t buy those who have blemishes, cut or leaked internal juice. Try to buy those who have fewer seeds in it.
Oil: Okra is the vegetable that needs little more oil compared to other vegetables. So be generous and add enough oil.
Tomatoes: The sourness of it will help to reduce the sliminess of bhindi as it cooks.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
1) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
2) Add ginger and green chilies. Saute for 30 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger goes away.
3) Add chopped tomatoes.
4) Mix and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they become soft.
5) Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
6) Mix and cook for a minute. Oil will starts to ooze out from the masala.
7) Now add chopped okra.
8) Mix, cover the pan and cook. Do stir once or twice in between. NOTE: When you open the lid, make sure that the collected water under the lid doesn’t go into the bhaji. Otherwise, it becomes slimy.
9) Cook until okra is soft and tender.
10) Now add garam masala.
11) Mix and turn off the stove. Bhendi chi bhaji is ready to serve.
💭Expert Tips:
Avoid sliminess of okra:
- Okra should be dry before you chop them.
- While chopping keepscleaning the knife as soon as it gets sticky.
- While cooking okra stir only 2 or 3 times only. If you stir too many times, it gets more slimy.
- Make the water that is collected under the lid doesn’t go into the pan when you open the lid. Water makes the okra slimy.
For the variation, you can add 2 cloves of garlic (chopped) or 2 teaspoons of garlic paste. It gives a nice garlicky flavor to the bhindi bhaji. Add the garlic along with ginger and chili.
PS Tried this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback! Plus, Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest updates.
📋 Recipe Card
Bhindi Bhaji (Bhendi Chi Bhaji)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Okra (Bhindi) chopped
- 3 tablespoons Oil
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 Green chili chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 1 medium or ¾ to 1 cup Tomato finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
- Add ginger and green chilies. Saute for 30 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger goes away.
- Add chopped tomatoes. Mix and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they become soft.
- Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Mix and cook for a minute. Oil will starts to ooze out from the masala.
- Now add chopped okra. Mix, cover the pan and cook until okra is soft and tender. Do stir once or twice in between. NOTE: When you open the lid, make sure that the collected water under the lid doesn’t go into the bhaji. Otherwise, it becomes slimy.
- Now add garam masala. Mix and turn off the stove. Bhendi chi bhaji is ready to serve.
Notes
- Okra should be dry before you chop them.
- While chopping keep cleaning the knife as soon as it gets sticky.
- While cooking okra stir only 2 or 3 times only. If you stir too many times, it gets more slimy.
- Make the water that is collected under the lid doesn’t go into the pan when you open the lid. Water makes the okra slimy.
Neelesh
Nice! I tried this recipe with my own Punjabi variations and it turned out great! Another tip I would give while cooking bhindi is that bake it in the oven at 350 F for 10-15 minutes. This is healthier method than shallow frying as no oil is used while baking it and the oil amount will be less overall. Also, this takes the moisture out of the bhindi and prevents sliminess. After bhindi is baked, you make your chhonk with onion, tomato, etc. and cook okra for a little while in that masala.
Kanan Patel
That's a very intelligent idea of baking bhindi. I'll sure give it a try.
Wanda
Brilliant recipe! Turned out perfectly. Will definitely be cooking this again! Yummy!
Kanan Patel
Very glad that it came out good.