What is Bhindi Masala?

Bhindi Masala is a North Indian dry stir-fry of okra (bhindi / ladies' fingers) cooked with onions, tomatoes, and spices — cumin, coriander, turmeric, amchoor, and garam masala. The okra is first dry-fried on high heat until charred and crispy, then tossed with the masala. It's served as a side dish alongside dal, rice, and roti as part of an everyday Indian thali. The key technique is high heat with no lid and no water — producing crispy, non-slimy okra every time. It's naturally vegan, gluten-free, and one of the most nutritious everyday vegetables in Indian cooking.

How do you make okra not slimy?

Five techniques eliminate okra sliminess completely: wash and dry every piece THOROUGHLY before cutting (surface water activates mucilage), cut just before cooking (pre-cut okra leaks mucilage while sitting), cook on HIGH heat (evaporates mucilage before it becomes sticky), never cover with a LID (trapped steam drips back and reactivates slime), and never add WATER (additional moisture feeds the mucilage cycle). Follow all five rules and your okra will be crispy, charred, and completely slime-free every time.

Why should you not stir okra when cooking?

Okra needs 2 minutes of uninterrupted contact with the hot pan to develop a golden-brown char on its cut surfaces. This char creates the crispy texture that makes Bhindi Masala addictive, and the sustained high heat evaporates the mucilage (the substance that causes sliminess) before it can activate. Stirring lifts the okra away from the heat source, preventing charring and allowing mucilage to develop. After the initial 2-minute sear, you can stir occasionally — but those first 2 minutes of no-stir contact are essential.

Okra is one of the most nutritious vegetables available: high in dietary fibre (3g per 100g — aids digestion and gut health), vitamin C (23mg — immune support), folate (60mcg — essential for cell growth and particularly important during pregnancy), and vitamin K (31mcg — bone health). At only 33 calories per 100g, it's extremely nutrient-dense per calorie. The short, high-heat cooking method in Bhindi Masala preserves these nutrients better than long simmering or boiling.

Where can I buy fresh okra in the UK?

Pick N Save (picknsave.co.uk) stocks fresh Bhindi (Okra) 300g year-round in the fresh produce section. They also carry all the spices for Bhindi Masala: cumin seeds, coriander powder, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli, amchoor (dried mango powder), garam masala, and ginger garlic paste. For the Kurkuri Bhindi (crispy fried) variation, they stock gram flour and chaat masala. Home delivery across London and the UK, plus click and collect from Harrow — established 1999.

How many calories are in Bhindi Masala?

A serving of Bhindi Masala contains approximately 120 calories — one of the lowest-calorie dishes in the entire recipe collection, alongside Baingan Bharta (80 kcal) and Rasam (35 kcal). The 4g of fibre per serving (16% of daily intake) comes from the okra itself. It's naturally vegan and gluten-free. The Kurkuri Bhindi (deep-fried) variation increases calories to approximately 200 per serving due to the frying oil and gram flour coating.

Bhindi Masala Recipe - Crispy Spiced Okra Stir-Fry (15 Minutes)

Easy Indian Recipes

Bhindi Masala Recipe - Crispy Spiced Okra Stir-Fry (15 Minutes)

15 mins 4 servings Easy

Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Servings 4

About This Recipe

Make crispy Bhindi Masala in 15 minutes - tender okra stir-fried with onions, tomatoes, and spices until slightly charred and never slimy. The technique that converts okra-haters into okra-lovers. Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and one of the most nutritious everyday vegetables in Indian cooking. Every ingredient at Pick N Save.

Ingredients

For the Bhindi Masala

300g okra (bhindi), washed, dried completely, cut into 2cm pieces (Bhindi/Okra 300g)
3 tbsp sunflower oil for dry-frying (KTC Pure Sunflower Oil 5 Litres)
1 tsp cumin seeds (Fudco Cumin Seeds 300g )
1 medium onion, finely sliced (White Onions Prepack 4Kg )
1 tsp ginger garlic paste (Fudco Ginger Garlic Paste 300g )
1 green chilli, finely chopped (Indian Chilli 400g )
1 medium tomato, finely chopped (Fresh Vine Tomato 500g )
½ tsp turmeric (TFS Haldi Powder Rajapuri 100g )
1 tsp ground coriander (TFS Dhana Coriander Powder 100g )
½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder (TFS Kashmiri Mild Chilli Powder 100g )
½ tsp amchoor / dried mango powder (TFS Amchoor Powder 100g )
Salt to taste

To Finish

½ tsp garam masala (TFS Garam Masala 100g )
Fresh coriander, chopped (Fresh Coriander Bunch 1Pc)

Method

Why This Recipe Works

Bhindi (okra/ladies' fingers) is the most divisive vegetable in Indian cooking - people either love it or hate it, and the haters always cite the same reason: sliminess. But slimy okra is badly cooked okra. Properly cooked Bhindi Masala is crispy, charred, slightly crunchy, and has zero slime. The secret: high heat, no lid, no water, and don't overcrowd the pan. Moisture is the enemy - every technique in this recipe is designed to remove moisture, not add it. At Pick N Save, we stock Bhindi (Okra) 300g year-round - and this is the FIRST dedicated recipe link for this product.

Step-by-Step Method

Step 1: Prepare the Okra

Wash 300g of okra (Bhindi/Okra 300g) and dry COMPLETELY with a kitchen towel - every drop of surface water contributes to sliminess. Trim the tops and tails. Cut into 2cm pieces. Don't cut too thin - thin pieces become mushy.

Step 2: Dry-Fry the Okra (5 Minutes)

Heat 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil (KTC Pure Sunflower Oil) in a wide pan or wok over HIGH heat. Add the okra in a single layer - don't overcrowd. Fry WITHOUT STIRRING for 2 minutes - let the okra char on one side. Then stir and fry for another 3 minutes. The okra should be lightly charred, slightly crispy, and the sliminess should have completely evaporated. Remove and set aside.

Step 3: Make the Masala (5 Minutes)

In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (Fudco Cumin Seeds 300g) - crackle. Add 1 medium onion sliced (White Onions Prepack 4Kg) - cook 3 minutes until golden. Add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (Fudco Ginger Garlic Paste 300g) and 1 green chilli chopped (Indian Chilli 400g). Add 1 medium tomato chopped (Fresh Vine Tomato 500g) - cook 2 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric (TFS Haldi Powder Rajapuri 100g), 1 teaspoon coriander powder (TFS Dhana Coriander Powder 100g), ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli (TFS Kashmiri Mild Chilli Powder 100g), ½ teaspoon amchoor (TFS Amchoor Powder 100g), salt. Stir 1 minute.

Return the fried okra. Toss 1 minute. Add ½ teaspoon garam masala (TFS Garam Masala 100g), fresh coriander. Done.

Step 4: Serve

Serve as a side dish alongside Dal Tadka, Jeera Rice, and roti for a complete thali. Bhindi Masala is a dry dish - no gravy - designed to contrast with wet dal and rice.

Nutrition Facts

Energy 120 kcal (6% RI)

Fat 9 g – Medium (13% RI)

Saturates 1 g – Low (5% RI)

Carbohydrates 6 g (2% RI)

Fibre 4 g – High (16% RI)

Protein 3 g (6% RI)

Sugars 3 g – Low (3% RI)

Salt 0.5 g – Low (8% RI)

*RI = Reference Intake. 120 kcal — one of the lowest-calorie dishes in the collection. High fibre (4g) from the okra. Naturally vegan and gluten-free.