Vegetarian Gastronomy

Painting With A Green Palate...100% Vegan & 80% Gluten-Free Cooking

Painting With A Green Palate...100% Vegan, & Gluten-Free Cooking

Easy Curried Okra (Bhindi Masala)

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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!

Easy Curried Okra #vegan #glutenfree | vegetariangastronomy.com

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!

Easy Curried Okra #vegan #glutenfree | vegetariangastronomy.com

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!

Easy Curried Okra #vegan #glutenfree | vegetariangastronomy.com

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.

Easy Curried Okra #vegan #glutenfree | vegetariangastronomy.com

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 #vegan #glutenfree | vegetariangastronomy.com

Easy Curried Okra #vegan #glutenfree | vegetariangastronomy.com

Easy Curried Okra #vegan #glutenfree | vegetariangastronomy.com

5 from 1 vote
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Easy Curried Okra (Bindi Masala)
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
30 mins
 

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!

Course: Appetizer, Main Dish
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Indian, Vegan
Keyword: curried okra, indian okra, okra recipe
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 184 kcal
Author: Anjali Lalani
Ingredients
For Ganish:
  • fresh cilantro finely chopped
  • fresh lemon juice
Instructions
  1. 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).
  2. Trim the ends of each okra. Using a dry knife, slice once lengthwise in half.
  3. In a large non-stick pan, heat 2-3 teasp cooking oil on medium heat.
  4. Add the black mustard seeds and fry for a few seconds.
  5. 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.
  6. Sprinkle on the Easy Indian Spice Blend and about 1/2 teasp salt to start. If using, add ground chili powder to taste for spice.
  7. Combine carefully and season to taste with additional salt. Slightly cover the pan, and cook for an additional 2 minutes. The dry spice blend should stick and mix into the cooked okra. If you feel like you need more spice, feel free to add a little extra of the Easy Indian Spice Blend .
  8. Garnish with some freshly chopped cilantro a little freshly squeezed lemon juice (if you prefer). Serve with some fresh home-made tortilla or rice!
Recipe Notes

This dish makes the perfect finger food for toddlers.

Nutrition Facts
Easy Curried Okra (Bindi Masala)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 184 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Fat 6g9%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 27mg1%
Potassium 797mg23%
Carbohydrates 27g9%
Fiber 8g33%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 8g16%
Vitamin A 1505IU30%
Vitamin C 48.3mg59%
Calcium 181mg18%
Iron 2.3mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This post was sponsored by Infinity Jars, but the opinions and text are fully my own.

 

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Comments

  1. Reshana says

    September 30, 2016 at 1:29 AM

    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 :)
    Reply

    • anjali says

      October 3, 2016 at 9:57 AM

      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!
      Reply

  2. Rashmi says

    September 30, 2016 at 2:13 AM

    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) :-)
    Reply

  5. Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says

    September 30, 2016 at 9:08 AM

    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 :D
    Reply

    • anjali says

      October 3, 2016 at 10:04 AM

      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! =)
      Reply

    • anjali says

      October 3, 2016 at 9:54 AM

      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!
      Reply

    • anjali says

      October 3, 2016 at 9:53 AM

      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!
      Reply

    • anjali says

      October 3, 2016 at 9:53 AM

      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!
      Reply

    • anjali says

      October 3, 2016 at 9:51 AM

      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!
      Reply

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