Bhindi / Okra Curry
Everyone complains about slimy okra, but frying it first helps keep it from becoming slimy in the curry.Usually, I fry the okra in batches before starting the curry. This time, I fried it with the onions in hot ghee — a reminder that curries are wonderfully versatile.
Ingredients
- 600 grams okra, washed and dried
- 500 grams red or white onions, sliced
- 1 cup ghee
- 1 cube frozen garlic and ginger or 3-4 cloves garlic and a 2cm bit of ginger – finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- ½ tsp chilli powder optional
- ½ can plum tomatoes, mashed
- 4 tbsp lightly whisked yogurt optional
Substitutions
- Okra -> green beans, courgette, aubergine
- Ghee -> oil + butter
- Yogurt -> coconut milk or omit
- Paprika -> Kashmiri chilli
- Onion -> shallots or leeks
Instructions
- Wash and dry the okra.Top, tail, and slice the okra into 2–3 cm pieces.Slice the onions.
- Heat ½ cup of the ghee in a wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the okra and onions and stir to coat them in the ghee.
- Fry until the onions and okra start to brown, then remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Add a little more of the remaining ghee to the same pan, as needed.
- Add the spices and temper for 10–15 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add ½ a can of plum tomatoes, mashing them in the pan, and fry with the spices until the oil separates.
- Add the chopped chillies, if using.
- Add the lightly whisked yogurt, if using. Stir it in and reduce the heat to medium.
- Return the onions and okra to the pan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes.
- Serve with chapatti or naan.
Leftovers
Bhindi pasta
Toss leftover bhindi through buttered pasta with garlic, chilli flakes and parmesan. Scrambled eggs
Fold bhindi into soft scrambled eggs with a pinch of cumin. Serve with toast or paratha. Pita pockets
Fill warm pitas with bhindi, crisp lettuce, yoghurt and a little chilli oil. Stuffed paratha
Lightly mash the bhindi, mix with a little yoghurt and garam masala, then use as a paratha filling. Roll, fry and serve with pickle.
Toss leftover bhindi through buttered pasta with garlic, chilli flakes and parmesan. Scrambled eggs
Fold bhindi into soft scrambled eggs with a pinch of cumin. Serve with toast or paratha. Pita pockets
Fill warm pitas with bhindi, crisp lettuce, yoghurt and a little chilli oil. Stuffed paratha
Lightly mash the bhindi, mix with a little yoghurt and garam masala, then use as a paratha filling. Roll, fry and serve with pickle.