Okra masala recipe (bhindi masala or ladies finger masala) is one of those fail proof, bachelor-friendly Indian recipes that is perfect to try if you are new to Indian food, new to cooking, and like Okra. That’s an important one, liking okra.
Okra is probably one of those vegetables that people either love or hate. This is not news to the okra-haters but the sliminess, ugh. I disliked okra heartily as a child and while my mom did try to get creative with it (okra aviyal, anyone?), I would still be cranky if an okra dish was on the table.
All that said, at some point during my cooking escapades, okra slowly made it into my kitchen. My first foray into tolerating okra was through okra sambar (or vendakka sambar as it’s more popularly called). That recipe was a winner and soon I found myself making  Okra aviyal, dahi okra masala, aloo okra dry sabzi, okra fry, okra masala with besan and many more such recipes.
Pro tip:How to get rid of the slime (stickiness) in okra?
There are a few things to keep in mind.
– First is the preparation of okra before cooking. Wash the okra and pat dry completely with a dry kitchen towel or paper napkins. Let them sit for a while and lose all moisture outside before you cut them. Slice into thin pieces, horizontally works better to get rid of slime, in my experience (see picture below).
– If you are frying the okra3, then that takes care of the slime. If you are making a gravy or sabzi with okra, make sure the heat is turned on higher than normal and you cook by stirring the okra constantly.
– Adding besan, plain flour or corn flour also absorbs the stickiness quite a bit.
Okra Masala Recipe
Ingredients
- 250 grams okra bhindi, vendakka
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 cup sliced onions
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder adjust to taste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste optional
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder jeera powder
- A pinch of hing asafoetida, perungaayam
- A few curry leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and prep the okra for cooking - see tips above on how to remove minimise the slime in okra.
- Heat oil and add the mustard seeds.
- When they start to pop and the sliced onions
- Fry until pink and transparent
- Add the sliced okra and mix well. Saute for a few minutes
- Add the turmeric, hing, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste (if using), curry leaves, and jeera powder.
- Mix well and stir-fry on medium-high heat until the okra gets cooked soft. This will take about 5 mins. If the okra starts to burn, sprinkle some water very sparingly, and continue to stir and fry.
- Add salt, mix well, and remove from fire.
- Serve hot with rice and some kuzhambu.
Step by Step Okra Masala Recipe:
Wash and slice the okra and onions for cooking
Heat oil and add the mustard seeds.
When they start to pop and the sliced onions. Fry until pink and transparent
Add the sliced okra and mix well. Saute for a few minutes
Add the turmeric, hing, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste (if using), curry leaves, and jeera powder.
Mix well and stir-fry on medium-high heat until the okra gets cooked soft. This will take about 5 mins. If the okra starts to burn, sprinkle some water very sparingly, and continue to stir and fry.
Add salt, mix well, and remove from fire. Serve okra masala hot with rice and some kuzhambu.
For Okra Masala recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Urdu etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.
Wow thanks
Hi Nags. The recipe looks simple but yum. adding the salt towards the end of cooking, also helps avoiding stickiness. Cooking uncovered also helps
wow recipe looks beautiful must try okra shape is beautiful
Hi Nags!Adding aamchur powder will reduce the stickiness. Also the lemon juice works the same way!! Love the pics a must try recipe…………
Hello, me back again! This time did you keep your nice light sky blue chopping board with dark green okras and that lovely parrot green knife on the floor? Thats really nice and contrasting!
Okra or bhindi is one of those veggies that tastes well only when cooked in the right way with the right traditional recipes. I love your okra masala recipe.
Hi Nags, I have been a follower of your blog for quite some time now though this is the first time I am writing in. thank you so much for the wonderful recipes you provide us, literally on a platter. All we have to do is blindly follow your instructions and we have a wonderful dish on our hands. here are a few tips to get a slime-less okra
1. wash and cut okra (bhindi) into pieces, pop into microwave for 4-5 minutes in a flat plate, take out and put the pieces into the pan to cook as usual. ( i don’t usually have the time to dry the okra before cutting so the microwave is a boon to me.)
2. the other option is to add a tsp of curd within 2-3 minutes of adding the pieces to the frying pan (before adding any other masalas). even if any slime has already developed, it can be lost by this method.
thank you nl! those are really great tips to get rid of the stickiness or slime in okra.
Love the way you chopped the bhindis,very attractive and delicious masala.
yummy recipe, my daughter’s fave!
Very simple okra masala to relish it with rasam rice – JEYASHRIS KITCHEN