Bhindi masala gravy recipe - Okras are simmered in onion-tomato-yogurt gravy and spiced with basic Indian spices.
Addition of yogurt gives slight tang to the gravy. Also it adds flavors to the dish. You need to be careful while adding yogurt. Make sure to lower heat. And stir immediately after adding yogurt. Otherwise yogurt will curdle. Curdled yogurt will not taste and look pleasant.
The gravy is little similar to my lauki kofta curry recipe.
Okra is family favorite vegetable. I cook with okra very often. Hence you will find many bhindi recipes on the blog.
This bhindi masala gravy is dear hubby's favorite dish just like other okra dishes. He enjoys it with ajwain parataha and chaas on side.
Check out other bhindi recipes
bhindi capsicum // bhindi do pyaza // stufeed bhindi // achari bhindi
How to make bhindi masala gravy (Step by Step Recipe with Photos):
1) First wash the okra well. If you have time then let it drain and dry out completely. Or you are in rush, then wipe it clean and dry with kitchen or paper towel. It is important to make the okra dry completely to avoid stickiness afterwards.
2) Cut both ends (head and tail part) and discard them. Cut the okra into 1 inch pieces. While chopping the okra, knife will get sticky. Wipe the knife clean using paper napkin or kitchen towel.
3) Chop all the okra. It is important to keep cleaning the knife as it gets sticky. It will helps to avoid more stickiness.
4) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add okra and salt.
5) Mix well and let it cook. Do stir in between for even cooking.
6) While bhindi are cooking, take yogurt in a bowl. whisk it or stir it with spoon till yogurt gets smooth. Keep it aside.
7) Also chop the onion, tomato, green chili, ginger and garlic.
8) Using the grinder or blender make the smooth paste out of it. Keep it aside.
9) Now bhindi should be cooked and tender. Okra will shrink and gets darker as it cooks.
10) Remove it to plate and keep it aside.
11) Heat remaining oil in the same pan on medium heat. Once hot add cinnamon stick, green cardamom and cloves. Saute for a minute, you will get aroma of spices.
12) Then add cumin seeds and let the sizzle a bit.
13) Add prepared onion-tomato puree. Sprinkle some salt. Be careful while adding salt, because we already added salt in bhindi.
14) Cook with stirring occasionally till all the moisture evaporates. It becomes thick paste.
15) Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder.
16) Mix well. Cook for a minute. Oil will starts to ooze out from sides.
17) Add water.
18) Stir well and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
19) Now lower the heat to lowest. Add yogurt.
20) Stir it immediately, so yogurt will not curdle. Now crank the heat to medium. bring it to a simmer
21) Add crushed kasoori methi and garam masala.
22) Mix well.
23) Add cooked okra.
24) Simmer for only 2 minutes. Turn off the stove. Don’t cook for longer time after adding bhindi. Otherwise bhindi will get mushy.
Bhindi masala gravy is ready to serve. Make this in your kitchen and let me know how you like it in comments below.
Serving suggestion: Serve bhindi masala curry with roti or paratha. Also serve onion lachha or kachumber salad and chaas on side to make a complete meal.
Notes:
- 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 less seeds in it.
- How to avoid the sliminess – 1) Okra should be dry before you chop them. 2) keep cleaning the knife as soon as it gets sticky. 3) While cooking okra stir only 2 or 3 times only. If you stir too many times, it gets more slimy.
- While cooking the bhindi, make sure that okra is soft yet it has bite. It should hold the shape. It should not be mushy
Bhindi masala gravy recipe
Ingredients
For cooking okra:
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 250 grams or 2 to 2 ½ cups Okra (bhindi) cut into 1 inch pieces
- Salt to taste
To grind into paste:
- 1 medium or ¾ cup Onion roughly chopped
- 2 small or 1 cup Tomato roughly chopped
- ½ inch Ginger
- 2 small cloves Garlic
- 1 Green chili
For bhindi masala gravy:
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ¼ inch Cinnamon stick
- 2 Green cardamoms
- 2 Cloves
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- Salt to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- ¾ cup Water
- ¼ cup Plain yogurt whisked till get smooth
- ½ teaspoon Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) lightly crushed
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala
Instructions
Prepping and cooking the okra:
- First wash the okra well.
- If you have time then let it drain and dry out completely. Or you are in rush, then wipe it clean and dry with kitchen or paper towel.
- Cut both ends (head and tail part) and discard them. Cut the okra into 1 inch pieces.
- While chopping the okra, knife will get sticky. Wipe the knife clean using paper napkin or kitchen towel.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add okra and salt.
- Mix well and let it cook. Do stir in between for even cooking.
- While bhindi are cooking, take yogurt in a bowl. whisk it or stir it with spoon till yogurt gets smooth. Keep it aside.
- Now bhindi should be cooked and tender. Okra will shrink and gets darker as it cooks.
- Remove it to plate and keep it aside.
Making paste:
- chop the onion, tomato, green chili, ginger and garlic.
- Using the grinder or blender make the smooth paste out of it. Keep it aside.
Making bhindi masala gravy recipe:
- Heat remaining oil in the same pan on medium heat. Once hot add cinnamon stick, green cardamom and cloves. Saute for a minute.
- Then add cumin seeds and let the sizzle a bit.
- Add prepared onion-tomato puree. Sprinkle some salt. Be careful while adding salt, because we already added salt in bhindi.
- Cook with stirring occasionally till all the moisture evaporates. It becomes thick paste.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Mix well. Cook for a minute. Oil will starts to ooze out from sides.
- Add water. Stir well and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Now lower the heat to lowest. Add yogurt. Stir it immediately, so yogurt will not curdle.
- Now crank the heat to medium. bring it to a simmer.
- Add crushed kasoori methi and garam masala. Mix well.
- Add cooked okra. Simmer for only 2 minutes.
- Turn off the stove. Don’t cook for longer time after adding bhindi. Otherwise bhindi will get mushy.
This recipe turned out delicious. I landed on your website looking for vegan bhindi recipes with gravy. The only two tweaks I made was I didn't put red chilly powder because I eat less very less chilies and instead of yoghurt, I put tamarind paste in the tomato+onion+green chilly+ginger+garlic paste. The dish looked exactly like yours. Thanks for this deliciousness.
Very glad to know curry came out good.
Thank you for your detailed feedback
I tried today and really came out good.
Like I try your another receipe soon.
Do keep posting good receipts.
Sure, glad that it came out good.
Happy Cooking !!