Bhindi Masala (Okra
With Red Onion and
Tomato)
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By Zainab Shah
Time
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Finish
25 minutes
Rating
(262)
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Ready in less than 30 minutes, bhindi masala is a hot and spicy vegetarian main dish perfect for any weeknight. Okra often gets a bad rap, but in this
recipe, searing it in ghee preserves its structure, adds texture and seals any potential stickiness. Onion, tomato, red chile powder, ginger and garlic come
together to make this a zinger of a dish. Finishing with lime juice adds fresh tartness that balances the heat. If you can’t find fresh okra, frozen works just
as well.
INGREDIENTS
PREPARATION
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Step 1
3 tablespoons ghee or neutral oil
In a medium (9-inch) frying pan or wok, heat 2 tablespoons ghee over medium-high for 30 to 45
1 pound okra, fresh or frozen (no need to thaw), stemmed
and chopped into ½-inch pieces (see Tip)
seconds or until it has melted. Add okra and cook undisturbed for 5 minutes or until okra starts to
brown around the edges. (Cooking okra undisturbed helps eliminate the gooeyness.) Stir once so the
sides with less color can brown next, then cook for another 5 minutes or until all the okra is brown
½ teaspoon grated ginger or ginger paste
around the edges. (This may take slightly longer if using frozen okra.) Remove with a slotted spoon
½ teaspoon grated garlic or garlic paste
and set aside.
1 large red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee to the same frying pan and heat over medium-high until it
¾ teaspoon kashmiri or other red chile powder
melts. Add ginger and garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, until the raw smell dissipates. Add onion
½ teaspoon ground coriander
and cook, stirring frequently, until onions begin to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes. (The onions should
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
still have a little bite.)
1 medium plum tomato, finely chopped
Step 3
1¼ teaspoons fine sea salt
Lower the heat to medium and add red chile, coriander and turmeric, and stir until the masalas are
2 to 3 tablespoons lime juice
¼ teaspoon garam masala
Roti or pita (optional), for serving
uniformly mixed with the onion, about 30 seconds. Add tomato and salt. Continue cooking on
medium until tomatoes break down, about 5 minutes.
Step 4
Add okra back to the pan and mix until incorporated. Sprinkle with lime juice and garam masala.
Serve with roti, store-bought pita or by itself.
Tip
If using fresh okra, make sure to pat it dry before chopping. This reduces the sticky texture common to
okra.
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