Bhindi Masala - Pakistani Okra Curry

Sometimes, it's nice to have a bit of a change from the standard vegetables I have on rotation (spinach, aubergine, carrots, cabbage etc) and cook up a different veggie.

Bhindi happens to always be available year round, fresh and frozen which makes it a staple in many households. It's a delicious, economical and versatile vegetable to have to hand - it can be cooked on it's own or alongside meat, such as in this Bhindi Gosht recipe. 

Bhindi, or okra as it's more typically known in English, is also an incredibly nutritious vegetable, packs a huge punch of fibre and as a bonus, it's very low calorie. Just 33 calories worth of okra crams in 3.2g of fibre - found in 100g worth of okra.

Bhindi happens to be one of those dishes that can be cooked in many different ways. Often it's made with the onions and tomatoes cooked down into a jammy masala, sometimes it is left as it is, long and in it's original lady-finger-like shape.  

My Mother often used to cook it in a 'Bhuna' style - dry, spicy and with the onions and tomatoes broken down into the curry. I've made this particular Bhindi dish with the onions and tomatoes more prominent and the okra cut into small discs. Today I'm sharing the way I like it - fully loaded with TONS of onion and tomatoes.

Preparing the Bhindi for using in the curry

Bhindi also requires some prep before actually being used in the curry. You will need to give it a fry beforehand as shown in the first steps in the recipe below.

Why do I fry the bhindi? The primary reason is because it helps zap out the slimey texture of the okra, which many people will find off-putting I find it retains it shape better, as opposed to melting in with the tomatoes and onions.

Do you have to fry the bhindi? I mean, you don't HAVE to. On lazy days, I'll admit that I've steamed ahead and not fried my bhindi and it's been fine. There's definitely been more of a slimy texture, but I can manage. If you're lazy and can manage too, you have my blessings.

What can you serve Bhindi with?

This curry goes well with both rice and chapatti. I mostly serve it as a side dish alongside a red meat curry, but my Mother would serve it on it's own, as the star of the show. If you'd like to serve it alongside a curry, I would recommend a Chicken Bhuna, Aloo Gosht or Chicken Dopiaza.

A few quick tips when cooking bhindi

I highly recommend using red onions for this instead of white onions. This is totally optional, but I think the colour looks fantastic and it adds a sweetness which complements that tang of the tomatoes and the texture of the bhindi. Garnish with some green chillis and lemon as opposed to coriander so the bhindi really stands out!

Also - bhindi has a tendency to be icky and slimy if not prepared properly. This is due to a substance it contains called 'mucilage' which gives it its slimy quality. The mucilage seems to augment itself when it comes in contact with moisture. Some people may actually like this sort of texture, BUT if you'd like to avoid this, then read on

• Make sure the bhindi is completely dry before using it in this recipe. Wash thoroughly and dry with a tissue or towel.
• Don't skimp on the frying in step 2! Allow the okra to become crisp, you'll be able to see the crispiness begin to form and you'll know you'll be getting it right

• When frying the onions for the masala, treat this as a labour of love and give the onions the time to wilt and caramelise. There is so much flavour development happening here - in fact, I would argue this is one of the most crucial steps in this recipe because of how prominent the onions are. Allow them to caramelise evenly, stirring often to ensure nothing burns
• Don't overcook the bhindi - again we want to avoid moisture
• Finally, something that comes way before the bhindi even enters the kitchen is - ensure you purchase good quality, fresh bhindi. It should be firm, have a nice healthy-looking sheen to it and shouldn't have any holes or soft spots. I always prefer fresh vegetables a hundred times over frozen, and this case is no exception.

Some additions you can make to this recipe

If you're feeling fancy, here's some add-ons to make this Bhindi cater to your needs

• Feel like something with a bit more tang? Add some tamarind into the curry around the same time you add in the okra to the masala. 
• If you want to bulk up this recipe, you can add in some chopped potatoes too. Ideally, you will want to add these in before the okra and let the potatoes cook almost fully before adding the okra in, since the potatoes will take longer to cook
• If you don't feel comfortable deep-frying the okra in oil, as this recipe suggests, you can certainly shallow fry them in much less oil. Also, you can dry-roast them in a skillet on your cooker too. Make sure you dry-roast them fully, giving them ample time. I have heard it's possible to air-fry bhindi too, although I haven't tried this myself!

Can you use frozen bhindi in this recipe?

I know fresh bhindi isn't always readily available, especially if you are living in areas where there aren't an abudance of Asian stores. If this is the case, you are absolutely fine to substitute fresh bhindi for frozen. It won't alter the quantities of anything in the recipe?

Can I freeze bhindi after cooking it?

It's not the best curry to freeze in my opinion - freezing it can make the okra pieces break and become limp. It's still doable though!

Enjoy, with love x

📋 Recipe