Kurkuri Bhindi: Indian Crispy Okra

By
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country's regional cuisines.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 03/20/23
Bhindi Bhojpuri

Aparna Balasubramanian/Getty Images

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings

We may associate okra with American Southern food, but this vegetable, called bhindi, is also a significant part of Indian cuisine. There are many dishes that incorporate okra, from simply cooking in a pan with spices to simmering in a rich curry to coating in seasoned flour and deep-frying, as in this dish. If you eat this okra dish with plain boiled rice and your favorite daal (lentil dish), you've got a tasty and nutritious meal.

This recipe calls for gram flour (also called besan) which is a common ingredient in Indian cooking and has a nutty flavor. Ajwain, or carom seeds, add a taste that is similar to anise and oregano. Chaat masala is a typical spice powder mix used in Indian cuisine.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound okra (bhinidi)

  • Vegetable or canola oil, for frying

  • 1/2 cup Bengal gram flour (besan)

  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon carom seeds (ajwain)

  • 4 teaspoons chaat masala

  • Salt, to taste

  • 3 tablespoons lime juice

  • Cooked rice or daal, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Wash the okra and dry thoroughly. Remove the top stem of each and then cut lengthwise into thin slices.

  2. Add enough oil to a deep skillet to come 1 inch up the sides and heat over medium heat to 350 F.

  3. Put the okra in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle over all of the dry ingredients except the salt.

  4. Deep-fry the okra a few at a time until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining okra in batches, adding more oil as needed.

    Season each batch with salt immediately after frying.

  5. Garnish with the lime juice and serve with plain boiled rice and your favorite daal.

Tips

It is very important to dry the okra thoroughly or else it will be sticky and slimy when you cut it. Okra is filled with a gel similar to what is inside the aloe plant and when cooked slowly the gel releases. Frying is an ideal way to cook slime-free okra since it is such a quick method; if the okra is wet when placed in the hot oil, it will take longer to cook.

When deep-frying, it is important to maintain the temperature of the oil. Do not heat the oil too much as okra burns quickly when deep fried. Also, don't crowd the pan when frying or the temperature of the oil will drop and the okra won't get properly crisped.

The fried okra will stay nice and crunchy for 15 to 20 minutes after being cooked, so you don't need to rush them to the table concerned that they will turn soggy.

Recipe Variations

You can vary the flavor of the kurkuri bhindi by changing the flour or seasonings in the recipe. Swap out the gram flour for rice flour, or add in a bit of garam masala along with the other spices.

If you would rather make oven-fried okra, after coating with the dry ingredients, place the bhindi in a single layer on a baking sheet and spray with olive oil. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 20 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
299 Calories
20g Fat
26g Carbs
6g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 299
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 172mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 9%
Dietary Fiber 5g 19%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 22mg 111%
Calcium 121mg 9%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 331mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags: