When cooked right, Okra is delicious! One taste of this Easy Curried Okra recipe, otherwise known as Bhindi Masala, will instantly make you an Okra lover!
Okra. It’s one of those vegetables you either love or hate. If you’re one of those people that don’t like them, it’s because of some bad experience eating or cooking it. And usually it all boils down to the texture of okra… it’s slimy!
I used to be one of those people who hated okra growing up. My mom would always cook her Indian okra recipe as a vegetable dish for dinner, and I would always run the other way because of the slimy texture. Well all that changed over the past 10 years when we figured out a healthy and easy way to keep the slime out, and what do you know…now I’m officially a lover of OKRA!
This easy curried okra recipe boils down to two simple steps, cooking the okra properly and adding in the perfect dry curry mix. Okra contains mucilage, which is the same thing that you find in aloe vera plants. When okra is heated while cooking, the mucilage comes out and produces that slimy texture. Although you probably can’t avoid the slime altogether, there are a few simple techniques you can apply while cooking okra to reduce it as much as possible:
- Completely dry out at room temperature after washing to keep out any excess moisture
- Avoid slicing the okra into tiny rounds, and instead cook them whole or slice them once lengthwise down the center to keep the surface area of the inside to a minimum when cooking.
- Salt adds to the moisture, so season with salt towards the end of cooking.
- Steam while cooking the okra produces moisture. Cook on higher heat and use a large pan to avoid over-crowding the pan.
See? Easy, right?! Once you cook the okra, all you need is my dry Easy Indian Spice Blend I posted a few weeks back. If you haven’t tried making this blend before, it’s amazing! It’s a savory dry mix of chickpea flour, ground peanuts, coconut, and some of my favorite Indian spices. It’s perfect to have on-hand and an easy way to jazz up any vegetable dish.
I used to make enough of the blend to last me about a month, but after finding these great Infinity Jars, I’ve been able to make larger batches and store them without having to worry about the flavor and freshness of the blend degrading over time! The ultraviolet light filtering material and air tight seal of these jars block out visible light that degrades organic goods. The result is that they enhance the flavor and keep goods fresh for an extremely long time, making them ideal for all my favorite spices that I can’t live without!
Infinity Jars carry various screw-top jars, cosmetic jars and bottles, apothecary jars, and large bottles. They’re perfect for storing cooking ingredients, dried herbs, tea, coffee, cosmetics, nuts, oils, etc. One of my other favorites is their glass fine mist spray bottle for my perfume while traveling. It preserves the scent and most importantly, keeps the perfume from evaporating. They make perfect gifts for the holidays and add a nice sleek look to your bathroom or kitchen counter.
Have I made you an okra lover yet? If not, just try out this Easy Curried Okra recipe and I promise you’ll see okra in a new way. It’s as simple as cooking the okra and sprinkling on my Easy Indian Spice Blend, and that’s it! You’ll have yourself a fun, delicious, new healthy vegetable dish for your family. My kids love it, and it makes a great finger food for the little ones. My 4 year old even took leftovers for school lunch the following day! I’d love to know if I made an okra lover out of you with this dish. Tag me on Instagram or Facebook, #vegetariangastronomy @vegetariangastronomy or let me know what you think in the comments below!
Easy Curried Okra (Bindi Masala)
INGREDIENTS
- 35 small fresh okra pods
- 1/2 teasp black mustard seeds
- 1/3 cup Easy Indian Spice Blend
- 2-3 teasp cooking oil
- salt to taste
- ground chili powder , optional
For Ganish:
- fresh cilantro finely chopped
- fresh lemon juice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Wash the okra pods and pat dry using a towel or let them dry completely on a kitchen towel well ahead of time at room temperature. Note that it is very important to work with completely dry okra before cooking (to keep the okra from becoming slimy while cooking).
- Trim the ends of each okra. Using a dry knife, slice once lengthwise in half.
- In a large non-stick pan, heat 2-3 teasp cooking oil on medium heat.
- Add the black mustard seeds and fry for a few seconds.
- Immediately add the sliced okra. Saute on medium heat until completely cooked (~15-20 minutes), carefully flipping using a spatula and mixing a few times in between to evenly cook and keep from burning. Once the okra is tender and lightly browned, it is done cooking.
- Garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro a little freshly squeezed lemon juice (if you prefer). Serve with some fresh home-made tortilla or rice!
NOTES
NUTRITION
Looking for more Easy Indian Recipes?
This post was sponsored by Infinity Jars, but the opinions and text are fully my own.
Reshana
This looks great Anjali.. We do eat okra. My mom cuts them round instead though and it has a pattern on them 🙂 she also dries them before cooking as it is very sticky but I must be honestly it is absolutely delicious and we eat it with a roti….YUM! She makes the okra with all the indian spices. Your looks as divine as hers 🙂
anjali
My mom used to do rounds growing up as well, but now I think she knows i’m not huge on the moisture so she started slicing the other way =) Fresh roti and okra! I’m so IN!
Rashmi
I was an okra lover even before I saw this recipe and that in my books it an added bonus…as my sister said… my mom cuts hers round in circles and it also makes the dish look extra pretty, I just adore it with Indian roti… Your looks fantastic and reminds of me of green beans (hahahha, another lovely Indian dish that my mom makes….aren’t mom’s just the best) 🙂
anjali
Haha they do look like green beans when cut that way =) I’d love to try out your moms recipe! And yes, moms are THE BEST!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
O that sounds fabulous! What a great way to serve okra!
anjali
Thanks Rebecca!
Linda @ Veganosity
Okra lover right here! This sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try it.
anjali
Great Linda!! Then you’ll love this recipe I’m sure of it!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit
I love okra when someone else makes it but the one time I tried to make it almost ruined it for me???? I need to try this so I can love it again, yours looks and sounds delicious! And most importantly not slimy woohoo. Thank you for all the tips! It’s a tricky little veggie. And those jars are really neat, I’m not sure the rest of my kitchen is cool enough to keep up with them lol 😀
anjali
YES…totally a tricky veggie haha! I’ve gone my entire childhood hating them, but now love them and my kids love it too which is great ha! Definitely try it again cooking differently…you can season it with really anything as long as it’s cooked right it’ll taste great! The jars are gorgeous! Now all i need is white countertops to make my kitchen sleek looking! =)
Kristine
My husband loves okra! I can’t wait to try it.
anjali
Awesome, then you’re okra experts already!
Mary
Great tips for dealing with the dreaded okra slime! Thanks!
anjali
haha! Thanks Mary!
Sarah @ Champagne Tastes
I love okra! The last recipe I tried was a little too oily for my taste.. this looks less greasy! I’ll have to try it!
anjali
oh this one is definitely less greasy and healthy! You’ll love it…let me know if you try
Platter Talk
I like okra and even enjoy it’s moisture. It tricks my taste buds into thinking they are eating something starchy. Going to try your blend out.
anjali
Oh nice…yeah my brother always loved it too growing up with the moisture, but i just couldn’t do it haha =) Well try this new combo with my blend!
Elizabeth @ SugarHero.com
Okay, I definitely need to try this, because I am not yet an okra lover! But I want to love any and all veggies, so I am always trying new dishes hoping to be persuaded!
anjali
Yes! This recipe will definitely make an okra lover out of you! It’s all about getting rid of the slime…i used to hate okra also until i figured out how best to cook it!
Hedi
I always see okra on sale at my local market but never knows what would I do with it….well now I know 🙂
anjali
YES! This is the perfect first recipe to get you started since I talk about how best to cook it! And you can really season it with anything, although I’m a huge fan of my easy Indian Spice blend!
Amy Katz from Veggies Save The Day
I learned something new about cooking okra! Thank you for the great information!
anjali
Thanks Amy!! Hope you get a chance to try them out sometime! They’re one of those veggies most people don’t know what to do with haha!
Kelly @ TastingPage
I was just spying some okra at the farmer’s market and wondering what to do with it. Problem solved!
anjali
YES! You will love this recipe…okra is delicious and really easy to make when cooked properly! Let me know if you try it out!
Uma
I love Okra! My daughter is actually big fan of this veggie, next time I will try your recipe Anjali:) Tahnks!
anjali
That’s great that your daughter loves okra! You must be cooking it right =) Mine loves picking at these with her fingers! Let me know if you try it out!
Indian Vegetarian Recipes
Nice vegan recipe . i love it!!
anjali
Thank you!!
gl
Love okra any way! The curry powder seems great to have on hand.