Bhindi Tomato Curry or Bhindi Bhaji is a fuss free healthy dish made with minimal ingredients where the flavour of bhindi is retained well. This semi dry curry made with Okra aka Bhindi/Ladies Finger, very few spices, onions & tomatoes goes very well with rice, paratha or roti. This can be served for any meal and also goes well in a lunch box. Be it a simple stir fry, stuffed okra or a Gujarati style recipe Bhindi Sambhariya, Okra is my top favourite vegetable and it’s so addictive.
Bhindi when cooked is very sticky and one needs to take care of certain simple tips to make sure it’s not sticky while cutting and cooking. This is one of the main reasons why some of them do not like this veggie. Today, I’m going to share some tips on cooking okra without slime…..continue reading to know more or scroll down directly to the recipe!!
Tips to take care while cooking with Okra/Bhindi:
- Always choose tender and young Okras/bhindi as they get cooked faster and also taste good.
- Wash okras well and dry using an absorbent cotton kitchen towel to remove moisture on them. Make sure okras are completely dry before you start slicing it.
- While chopping, wipe off the sticky residue on the knife now and then using a disposable tissue paper.
- Do not chop them to very small pieces as they turn more sticky while cooking especially if you are a novice cook.
- Adding a tablespoon of yoghurt to the okras after sautéing in the oil for a minute reduces the stickiness especially when making a dry stir fry. You can also add lemon, but this will make the dish sour and you will need more spice powders to balance the flavours.
- When you start cooking okra, add it to hot oil in the pan and stir fry on high heat for 2-3 minutes so that the moisture dries out quickly.
- Do not skimp on the oil used in any okra/bhindi recipe. Oil helps to get rid of the sticky substance from the vegetable.
- Most importantly, do not stir too often as okra pieces will break and the curry becomes sticky and soggy.
- You can also add a teaspoon of rice flour or gram flour(besan) towards the end of making a stir fry to dry out any left out moisture. We don’t need it in today’s recipe as it’s a semi dry curry.
Quick Video: How to make Bhindi Sabji
Steps to prepare Bhindi Tomato Curry:
- Grab all the ingredients. For all the measurements, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Roughly chop 1 large tomato. Cut out both ends of the each Okra/Bhindi and chop into half inch pieces. Thinly slice 1 large onion and set aside.
- Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium heat.
- Season it with dry red chilli, crushed coriander seeds and mustard seeds.
NOTE: Crushed coriander seeds in the seasoning imparts a very good flavour to the curry. It is not the same as adding coriander powder later to the curry. Trust me, you will note the difference once you make it.
- Once the mustard seeds splutter, add thinly sliced onions and a little salt.
- Sauté for 2 minutes until the onions turn translucent.
NOTE: Salt helps to soften the onions and also the curry will not need too much oil to fry the onions.
- Add in the okra pieces and stir occasionally on medium high heat.
- After about 3-4 minutes, add in turmeric powder and red chilli powder.
- Mix well and sauté for another 3-4 minutes over medium high heat until the okra pieces turn slightly brown.
- Now, add chopped tomato and gently stir. Adjust salt if needed.
- Sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes until the tomatoes soften but doesn’t become mushy.
NOTE: Add the tomatoes only after the okras brown a bit. Adding them very early will make the curry very soggy and the bhindi will not fry properly.
- Finally, garnish with some chopped coriander and mix well. Turn off the heat.
- Serve with rice, paratha or roti.
A Quick Summary:
Bhindi Tomato Curry - Bhindi Bhaji Recipe | Bhindi Tamatar Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 2 Dry Red Chillies broken into halves
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Seeds coarsely crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 Large Onion thinly sliced
- 250 grams tender Okra wash, dry, trim ends and chop into half inch pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 Tomato roughly chopped
- Coriander finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium heat.
- Season it with dry red chillies, crushed coriander seeds and mustard seeds.
- Once the mustard seeds splutter, add onions and a little salt.
- Sauté for 2 minutes and then add okra pieces and stir occasionally.
- After about 3-4 minutes, add in turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste.
- Mix well and sauté for another 3-4 minutes over medium high heat until the okra pieces turn slightly brown.
- Now, add chopped tomatoes and gently stir.
- Sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes over medium high heat until the tomatoes soften but doesn't become mushy.
- Finally, garnish with some chopped coriander and mix well. Turn off the heat.
My Notes:
- Feel free to adjust spice levels with chilli powder to suit your taste.
- Do not skip crushed coriander seeds in the seasoning, it imparts a very good flavour to the curry. It is not the same as adding coriander powder later to the curry. You will taste the difference once you eat it.
- Always cook the okra uncovered. Any trace of water on okra makes it slimy.
Do check out other Vegetable Dry Curries and Indian Vegetarian Recipes from blog!!
Other Okra/Bhindi Recipes on blog:
Many more to come!!…..STAY TUNED!!
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Happy Cooking 
Cheers!!
Padma.
