Kadai Bhindi Recipe – Stir fried okra and capsicum are mixed with spicy, flavorful onion-tomato kadai masala. This is semi-dry sabzi dish and it goes perfect with roti, paratha. Though you can pair it with dal-rice combo too.
There are many different kadai recipes like, kadai paneer, kadai mushroom, kadai chole, kadai vegetables etc. Today I am sharing this delicious kadai bhindi recipe.
Bhindi and capsicum is too good combination. Have you tried my bhindi capsicum sabji? At home we love this both combined. You must try it once.
Here the thick gravy is made from onion tomato. And addition of freshly ground kadai masala makes it more flavorful.
First time I have tried kadai bhindi in the Punjabi restaurants few years ago. They have deep fried the okra, so the texture was nice, crispy. But while making it at home, I have cooked the okra in little oil instead of frying just to cut down some calories. If I am making it for guests, I would fry the okra. It is all about the preferences.
Check out more bhindi recipes
Bhindi masala // Kurkuri bhindi // Bhindi do pyaza // Achari bhindi // Bhindi fry
How to make Kadai Bhindi Recipe (Step by Step Photos):
1) To make freshly ground masala, take whole spices (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, dried red chilies and peppercorns) in a pan.
2) Dry roast them on medium heat with stirring constantly.
3) Once you get nice aroma of the spices, remove them to a plate and let it cool down completely.
4) Once cooled make fine powder into spice grinder or regular grinder.
5) Into the same grinder, make take chopped tomatoes.
6) And make smooth puree, keep it aside.
7) In the same pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil on medium heat. Once hot add chopped bhindi and sprinkle little salt. Mix and let them cook uncovered.
8) Do stir in between. Cook till bhindi is soft and tender. As they get cooked, bhindi will shrink and get darker in color. Once cooked, remove it to a plate.
9) In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium heat. Add capsicum and little salt.
10) Cook as per your liking. We like slightly crunchy, so I have cooked till 85% is cooked. If you like soft then cook all the way through. Remove it to the same plate with bhindi. Keep them aside.
11) In the same pan, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil on medium heat. Once hot add onion and little salt. Be careful with salt, we have added earlier too.
12) Cook till onion becomes soft and light pink in color.
13) Add ginger paste, garlic paste and slit green chili.
14) Saute for 40-60 seconds or till the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.
15) Then add pureed tomato.
16) Mix well and let it simmer. If it splutters a lot then you can partially cover the pan.
17) Cook till all the moisture is evaporated and becomes thick paste.
18) Now add prepared kadai masala.
19) Mix well and saute for 1 minute. Oil may starts to ooze out from the sides.
20) Now add water to make thick gravy. Bring it to a simmer.
21) Now add crush the kasoori methi between your palm and add it to the gravy.
22) Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes or till it gets thick gravy.
23) Since this is semi-dry sabzi where gravy is coated to the bhindi and capsicum, we are looking for thick gray.
24) Now add cooked okra and capsicum.
25) Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes or till everything gets heated through.
26) Then turn off the stove and lastly sprinkle coriander leaves.
Serving suggestion: Serve kadai bhindi with roti, plain paratha or naan. It can be served as a side dish with dal, rice combo.
Kadai Bhindi Recipe (How to make Kadai Bhindi Recipe)
Ingredients
For kadai masala:
- 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds (sabut dhaniya)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
- 4 Kashmiri dried red chilies seeds and stems removed
- 8-10 Black peppercorns
For kadai bhindi recipe:
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons + 1 tablespoon Oil
- 2 cup Okra (Bhindi) chopped
- ½ cup Capsicum (Green bell pepper) cubed, I have used red capsicum
- ½ cup Onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 2 teaspoons Garlic paste or freshly grated
- 1 Green chili slit
- 2 medium or 1 cup Tomato pureed
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro or coriander leaves finely chopped
Instructions
Making fresh masala:
- Dry the kadai masala ingredients in a pan on medium heat. Do stir constantly for even roasting.
- They get slight color and you will notice the nice aroma of the spices. That time turn off the stove and remove it to a plate.
- Let them cool completely and then grind into fine powder.
Making kadai bhindi recipe:
- Cook the bhindi first with 1 tablespoon of oil along with little salt. Once cooked and soft, remove it to a plate.
- In the same pan, cook capsicum with 2 teaspoons of oil and little salt. Once cooked and soft, remove it the same plate with bhindi.
- Now heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and add onions and salt. Cook till onions get soft and light pink in color.
- Then add ginger paste, garlic paste and green chili. Saute for a minute.
- Then add pureed tomato and cook till all the water is gone and it becomes thick paste.
- Then mix in freshly ground masala and cook for a minute.
- Now add water to make thick gravy and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
- Crush kasoori methi and add into the gravy. Mix well.
- Then add cooked okra and capsicum, mix well and let the mixture get heated through.
- Now turn off the stove and sprinkle coriander leaves.
- It is ready to serve.
Eric J
Great recipe. I had this for the first time at a local Indian restaurant a few months ago and wanted to try it at home. I couldn’t find the dried fenugreek leaves so I used crushed fenugreek and decreased the amount a little bit – seemed to work fine. I was surprised that you said you restaurants normally deep fry the okra, When I had it, it was lightly sauteed, just like you do here.
Kanan
In India, they deep fry the okra and it is the traditional method.
Here in the USA, I have seen deep fried ones at many places. But you are right, at some places they do just stir-fry or saute to make it Americanized and healthy. Because people here are calorie conscious and do count the calories. But back home no one cares for calories.
SaLly
Tried this recipe.. It turned out awesome…
Everyone liked it.
Kanan
glad to hear.
Thank you for the review.
CRV
Made this recipe today, came out really well, I don’t have Kashmiri chilli handy so used just one red chilli instead. Kids loved it and so do we. Thanks!
Kanan
Good to hear that you all liked it
Nirav
i do have small question i like fried okra so can i fry them instead?
just curious
thanks
Kanan
yes of course You can fry them.
Nirav
i will give you 100% on this. its not only looks tempting i can literally smell its sooo yummy
thanks will make it soon let you know.
do share some great recipes like this.
Kanan
Thank you Nirav. Hope you all enjoy.
Happy cooking !!