Bhindi fry recipe – Simple, delicious and healthy stir fried okra/bhindi. Okra also known as ladies finger is a vegetable widely used in Indian cuisine to make various dishes like sambar, curry, chutney, stir fry and stew. This bhindi fry is a simple preparation made by stir frying the veggie and then lightly spiced. It is served with plain rice, roti or chapati.

I make bhindi often at home since my kids’ love it in any form. Most of the times I end up making stir fry to serve with roti, rice, Sambar or Rasam.
Sometimes we also serve it with curd rice. I make bhindi fry each time with different seasonings as my kids’ don’t like repeating the same. The recipe I have shared here is one of the delicious ways to prepare bhindi.
There are not many ways to make bhindi fry. But it can be seasoned or flavored with different ingredients. Using garam masala, fresh coconut or other spice powders are some of them.
I often make Andhra style bendakaya vepudu with coconut and roasted peanuts which is a favorite at home.
This bhindi fry is flavored with roasted & crushed peanuts, coconut & sesame which perks up the nutrition of dish. It turns out very delicious and aromatic.
If you are a weight watcher then you can skip peanuts and use coconut or sesame. You can also skip all of the 3 and just sprinkle some garam masala. Here are some tips that may help you.
Tips
- Rinse and dry bhindi well with a kitchen tissue or cloth before chopping. This prevents them turning slimy while chopping and stir frying.
- If using frozen okra for stir frying, then spread them on kitchen tissues for a while so the excess moisture is reduced or absorbed by the tissues. To some extent this helps in reducing the slime while cooking.
- You can easily skip my spice powder mentioned in the recipe below and use any other spice powders like peanut podi, flax seed podi, idli podi or chutney podi.
Can I air fry or bake?
Yes. You can also bake or air fry chopped bhindi for the first few minutes so they cook faster in the pan. Most of the slime will just dry up in the oven/air fryer.
These methods are good when you are making this bhindi fry in large quantity. Ensure you chop them at least ½ inch otherwise they turn too dry. After air frying or baking, follow the recipe as is and add them to the tempering.
In the air fryer I keep them for 4 mins at 160 C (320 F). Keeping them for too long will make them dry & lifeless. I am sharing what works for me. You may need to adjust the timing as it depends on your air fryer. I drizzle little oil before air frying.
To bake them in oven, toss them in little oil and spread them on a greased foil. Bake at 180 C (350 F) for 5 to 6 mins. Avoid baking them for too long they become too dry.
You may also like to check
Bhindi do pyaza
Easy bhindi masala
Bhindi ki sabzi
Vendakkai poriyal
Preparation for bhindi fry
1. Rinse bhindi under running water. Drain them to a colander and wipe dry with a kitchen cloth or tissue.

2. Chop them to half inch pieces and set aside. For comfort while chopping use kitchen tissue to wipe off the slime from the knife.
How to make bhindi fry
3. Heat oil in a pan and cumin. I have used about 2.5 tbsps here since I have not used a non stick pan. You can reduce it to 1.5 tbsp if you use a non stick pan.

4. When the jeera begins to splutter add chopped bhindi and stir fry on a medium heat.
5. Keep stirring at regular intervals. Over doing it will make the bhindi more slimy so do it as needed. Bhindi will begin to turn slimy after a minute. To reduce the slime I usually sprinkle some lemon juice but I have not done it this time.

Making nut powder for bhindi fry
6. You can skip the peanuts from the recipe and use only coconut or sesame. You can also just use garam masala and skip all of these three.
7. While the bhindi is getting fried, roast the peanuts and garlic on a medium flame until golden.

8. Turn off the heat and add coconut and sesame seeds. I have also used little cumin here. Fry lightly for a minute.

9. Cool them completely and make a coarse powder.

10. When the bhindi is done, you will find that they are no more slimy. At this stage add salt and turmeric. Mix well.

11. Pour 1 teaspoon oil to the center of the pan. Add red chili powder to it. Let the chilli powder fry in oil for about 10 seconds.

12. Then mix it well with the bhindi. Fry for another 3 to 4 mins if desired. I do not prefer to over cook bhindi so I did not fry further.
13. Add the peanut powder.

14. Mix it well with the bhindi. It doesn’t need to be cooked further.

Enjoy bhindi fry with rice or roti.

Related Recipes
Recipe card

Bhindi fry recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )
- 500 grams okra (bhindi, ladies finger)
- 2 tablespoons oil or as needed
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1 green chili slit (skip if making for kids)
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon red chili powder (for kids – ¼ to ½ tsp)
to roast or use ¾ tsp garam masala
- 1½ tablespoons peanuts
- 1½ tablespoons coconut grated (optional) (any – copra tastes best)
- 1 tablespoons white sesame seeds (optional)
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
Instructions
Preparation
- Choose okra or bhindi that are young and tender. Wash them well under running water.
- Drain them to a colander. Wipe off with a clean kitchen cloth or tissues.
- Cut off both the ends and discard. Chop them to half inch pieces. Set aside.
How to make bhindi fry
- Pour oil in a pan. When the oil turns hot, add half teaspoon cumin and allow them to splutter.
- Then add chopped bhindi and 1 slit green chili.
- Begin to saute them in oil on a medium heat. Stirring as often as needed. Over stirring can make them more slimy.
- You can skip this step and just use garam masala. While the bhindi gets fried, in a different pan dry roast peanuts and garlic on a medium flame until deep golden and aromatic. Then add coconut and sesame (both optional). Lastly add in jeera. Saute just for a minute. When the sesame seeds begin to splutter turn off the stove. Cool completely. Make a coarse powder.
- When the bhindi shrinks and is no more slimy or sticky, then add salt and turmeric.
- Fry until bhindi is done to your liking. I usually take off the bhindi when it is no more slimy.
- Pour 1 tsp oil to the center of the pan, add chili powder to the oil.
- Mix well and saute the bhindi for another 2 mins until the raw smell of the chili goes away.
- Now add the powdered peanuts and mix well.
- Serve bhindi fry with rice or roti as a side.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes

Soni says
Hi,
Your recipes are a great help…all your recipes that I have tried so far, have turned out amazing.. my family loved the dishes I have made following your recipes… the best part is that your recipes are simple to follow..
Keep up the great job
Thanks once again for your yummylicious recipes..
swasthi says
Hi Soni
You are welcome! Glad to know the recipes worked out well. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Sush says
Hi,
I love almost all your recipes… everything I’ve tried so far has come out delicious!
Keep putting up more 🙂
Thanks
swasthi says
Welcome Sush
Thank you! sure will keep sharing
Peggy says
Made this tonight with the garam masala and it was great. One of the kids loved it. The other is just picky about vegetables (likes them raw instead of cooked mostly). Thanks for a great recipe!
swasthi says
Welcome Peggy
Glad to know! Thank you
Andrew says
Delicious!
swasthi says
Thank you!
Jaya says
Thr receipe was great.very tasty swathy.
swasthi says
Thank you
Purity says
Hi, i tried your bhindi fry recipe it turned out very delicious 😋. Everybody enjoyed it with rice. Thanx for the recipe
swasthi says
You are welcome Purity
Glad you all liked it. Thank you!
Soni says
Hi,
Your recipes are a great help…all your recipes that I have tried so far, have turned out amazing.. my family loved the dishes I have made following your recipes… the best part is that your recipes are simple to follow..
Keep up the great job
Thanks once again for your yummylicious recipes..
Sabitha says
U r recipes r easy to make and great to taste
swasthi says
Thank you so much Sabitha
Twinkle says
Yummy recipe. I also added some parboiled potatoes and it turned out delicious
swasthi says
Thanks for trying Twinkle
Noor says
Most delicious and healthy bhindi I ever made. Thanks for the great recipes
swasthi says
Welcome Noor
Neelima says
I always make bhindi fry very differently just plain. But this one was very good. Thank you for the recipe
swasthi says
Welcome Neelima
Thanks for trying the recipe. Glad to know you liked it.
Hema says
Hello swasthi,
I tried your bhindi fry. It turned out 😋. The whole meal was polished off by the kids just with that. 🙏
swasthi says
Hi Hema,
You are welcome. So glad to read your comment after a long.
🙂
Thanks a lot for trying. Happy to know the kids’ loved it.