Aloo Bhindi Recipe (Okra with Potatoes)

Aloo Bhindi is a delicious Indian side dish of stir fried okra with potatoes, spices and herbs. This flavorsome North Indian dish is simple, easy to make and goes well with steamed rice, roti, parathas, chapati or any flatbreads. Aloo Bhindi is one of those comforting dishes that require just a handful of ingredients but turns out so good that you won’t stop making it again & again.

About Aloo Bhindi

It is said that Aloo Bhindi originated in the Punjabi Cuisine but today you can find it being made and enjoyed all over India with regional variations. It is a common dish made in the homes and often served in restaurants in a North Indian thali (meal).

Basically it is a dry curry, also known as sabzi and it does not have any sauce. The most basic version is made with just okra, potatoes, chili powder, amchur (dried mango powder) and a sprinkle of garam masala. Many people also use onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and plenty of other ground spices.

You will also find home cooks like me experimenting with curry leaves and mustard seeds. Each variation brings a new dimension to the aloo bhindi.

I make this in 2 ways – one is to add potatoes in this Bhindi Masala which yields a little sauce. I’m sharing the second one in this post and also sharing many tried and tested variations below.

At home we love bhindi and this one makes to our menu often. It is a kids’ friendly recipe and you can make it less hot/spicy to suit their palate.

Here I have not used onions just to save 20 mins time but if you want you can use them. Tomatoes are optional and you may leave them out if you want and simply use amchur or lemon juice for the tang.

Here is the picture of the same, made without onions and tomatoes. My family prefers Aloo Bhindi with tomatoes because they impart tang, adds so much flavor and keeps the dish a little moist without drying out. However you can still leave them out to save 8 to 10 minutes of your time.

More similar recipes,
Sauteed Okra
Bhindi Fry
Aloo Gobi
Aloo Matar
Eggplant Potato Curry
Bhindi Do Pyaza

How to Make Aloo Bhindi (Stepwise Photos)

This recipes serves 4. If you want to make 2 servings, cut down the quantities by half.

Preparation

1. Rinse 1.1 lb (½ kg) bhindi under running water and pat dry or air dry until all of the moisture from the surface is gone. Water droplets on the okra can make your sabzi more slimy while cooking. Rinse and peel 320 grams (3 medium) potatoes and rinse 2 small tomatoes (150 grams).

2. Dice the potatoes to ¾ inch pieces and add them to a bowl of water as you dice. If you want you can also rinse them well and pour fresh water. This removes the excess starch and prevents them from sticking to each other. Chop the bhindi to ¾ to 1 inch pieces. You can also do this while you stir fry the potatoes.

3. Pour 1 to 1½ tablespoon oil to a wide pan and heat it. Remove the potatoes from water and add them here. Spread them to a single layer and let them fry on a medium high heat. While you fry these you may chop the bhindi and slice 4 medium garlic cloves to make 1 to 1½ tablespoons. Or use 1 inch ginger peeled and sliced.

4. Stir them and cook until they are fork tender, meaning fully cooked. Remove these to a plate and keep aside.

5. To the same pan add another 1½ tablespoon oil and add the sliced garlic cloves. Fry them for 30 seconds.

6. Add the bhindi and fry them on a medium heat until all the slime has gone and they are cooked. Stir them every few minutes but do not over do as the okra can release more slime.

7. You may leave out the tomatoes and use amchur or lemon juice later. While the bhindi is frying, quarter 2 medium tomatoes and add them to a grinder. Using more tomatoes is likely going to make the dish mushy because you need to cook longer to evaporate the moisture in tomatoes.

8. Puree them to a smooth texture.

Make Aloo Bhindi

9. When the bhindi is done they looked wilted and shrunk.

10. Add the aloo and the following spices:

• ⅛ teaspoon turmeric (optional, add more if you want)
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste, I use 2 teaspoons)
• ¾ to 1½ teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste or ½ tsp cumin & 1 tsp coriander powder, use ¾ to 1 teaspoon if you don’t use tomatoes)
• ⅓ teaspoon salt (more if you use tomatoes)

11. Mix and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

12. Move the veggies aside and make a well in the center. Pour the tomato puree (½ to ¾ cup, no more) and let it cook (without mixing) on a medium high heat until most of the moisture is reduced. This takes about 3 mins. Mix and stir fry on a medium high heat until the raw smell of tomatoes is gone. This takes me another 4 to 5 mins. If you cook on a low heat at this stage your bhindi can become mushy.

13. Taste test and add more salt, garam masala or red chili powder to suit your liking. Add 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). If you left our tomatoes, then add 1 teaspoon amchur or add lemon juice while serving. Mix well and turn off the heat.

Optionally garnish aloo bhindi with 1 tablespoon coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice, roti, chapati or any flatbreads.

Pro Tips

• Wipe dry the bhindi to prevent them turning more slimy.
• Chop the bhindi to medium sized pieces. If they are too thin, they will let out too much slime. If they are too large, you will take a lot of time to cook them and sometimes you can feel the slime inside while eating.
• Make sure the slime has gone completely before adding tomatoes because any kind of moisture is likely to make the bhindi slimy.
• Tomatoes are used in the pureed form to cook them faster. Though chopped tomatoes work, they take longer to cook down and loose the raw flavor.

Variations

• To use onions, slice one large onion and start by sautéing the onions in 2 tablespoons oil, followed by garlic or 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste and then bhindi. Use tomatoes the same way as shown in the recipe. Another method is to make the onion tomato masala and then add the fried bhindi and aloo. You may check out this bhindi masala for that.
• Give a South Indian touch to this aloo bhindi by using curry leaves. Add them along with garlic.
• You can also add Idli podi, peanut podi, dry garlic chutney (vada pav chutney), flax seed podi or fresh/frozen coconut. This version tastes better without tomatoes. I have shared it here on Vendakkai Fry. Sprinkle as much as you like towards the end. Use less salt while cooking the bhindi if using podi because it is already salted. But note that the dish is going to turn out dry.

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