Bendakaya Thalimpu / Bhindi Tadka/ Okra Stir Fry

Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena

PrepTime:10 mins  CookTime:10-12 mins  Cuisine:Indian

This, stir fry recipe is the basic curry I make with Okra/ Bhindi/ Bendakaya. Its very simple but might be tough to get it non-sticky. I gave the tips I use to get it non-sticky even when the okra/ bhindi are not so fresh.

My kids love this stir fry so much, that they could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner too.. haha.. Try this Vegan + Less Oil recipe of mine.

Alterations you could make in this recipe, ‘Okra Stir Fry / Bhindi Tadka’:

• You might add ¼ teaspoon of ground coriander / dhaniya powder for some extra aroma.
• Adding any other fresh veggie along with okra / bhindi, makes it more appetising, in case you prefer to.
• Other vegetables suitable to be cooked with this stir fry along with okra / bhindi are>>>  potato, carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, capsicum, onion.
• One thing to remember is, add the other veggie first, fry for 5 mins and only then add the okra. This way, the okra / bindi would not turn mushy. Anyhow, any other veggie takes more time to fry than okra / bhindi.
• Check the pic given below, I have added a large size potato (pieces), even before adding the okra / bhindi pieces. The final result tasted absolutely delicious.

Health Benefits of Okra / Bhindi:

One of the best reasons for consuming more okra is that it is packed full of nutrients that are essential for good health. Thanks to having lots of beneficial nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Okra is not just delicious to eat but can be used to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improve your mood, and strengthen your immunity. Many people who have diabetes drink okra water to help regulate blood sugar levels (info from internet).

Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips  mentioned at the end.

My other Curry/ Koora recipes here⇒  Curry / Koora / Stir Fry

Daily Meal Platters collection⇒  Bhojanam / Thali / Meal Platter

Lentil Stew / Dal recipes collection here⇒  Dal / Pappu / Lentil Stew

Related Posts:  

1. Kakarakaya Vepudu / Karela / Bitter-Gourd Stir Fry
2. Beetroot-Coconut Stir Fry / Beetroot-Kobbari Koora
3. Thalimpu Senagala / Chana Tadka / Seasoned Chickpeas

Follow me on⇒  Facebook  / Pinterest  / YouTube  / Instagram

RECIPE VIDEO FROM MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL:

Ingredients:

• Okra/ Bhindi/ Bendakaya – 250 gms
• Cooking Oil – 3 tablespoons
• Salt – 1½ teaspoons / as per taste
• Red Chilli powder/ Paprika – 1 teaspoon
• Jeera Powder / Cumin Powder – ¼ teaspoon (optional)
• Turmeric Powder/ Pasupu – ¼ teaspoon
• Garlic pods – 4 (optional)

Ingredients for Tempering:

• Urad dal / Minapappu / Split Black gram – ¾ teaspoon (optional)
• Chana dal / Senagapappu / Split Yellow Gram – ¾ teaspoon (optional)
• Jeera / Cumin Seeds – ½ teaspoon
• Mustard Seeds / Aavalu – ½ teaspoon
• Sesame Seeds/ Til/ Nuvvulu – ½ teaspoon
• Dry Red Chillies – 3
• Curry Leaves/ Karivepaku – 4 to 5

Special Ingredients:

• Curry Leaves/ Karivepaku

Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Okra fry / Bhindi tadka’:

PREP WORK:

• Firstly, wash the okra/ bhindi/ bendakaya thoroughly.
• Pat them dry on paper towels so that they don’t have water droplets on them.
• Cut them breadth wise into ¼ inch size pieces. Keep aside.

COOKING:

• Put a frying pan on stove top under medium flame, add the oil and heat it up.
• Add all the ‘Ingredients for tempering’ along with garlic pods (optional) and saute them.
  

  

• Now, add all the okra/ bhindi pieces into the pan and toss/stir fry in between. 
  

  

• After 5 mins the pieces might be softened/ half cooked then add the salt and turmeric powder.
  

  

• Give everything a mix such that the salt is coated throughout the pieces. 
• Leave it for 3-4 mins until its fully fried ( as per your preference).
• And then add the red chilli powder and jeera / cumin powder (optional).
  

  

• Mix everything gently, let the flame be on for 2 more mins.
• Switch the flame off, transfer the fry/curry into a serving bowl. Done!!

Tips:

• Do not cut the okra/ bhindi into very tiny / very thin pieces which might make mushy.
• Try to dry / pat dry by any means after washing the okra/ bhindi. It means that water on this veggie makes it mushy, so try to get rid of.
• Prefer to use non-stick pan or cast-iron pan for frying.
• If you wish to add any other veggie along with okra / bhindi, please check ‘Alterations you could make in this recipe’, where I gave instructions in detail.
• You can completely avoid the tempering part of the recipe.
• Do not add salt at the beginning of the stir fry.
• Do not cover the pan with lid at any point.
• Prefer to toss the pan or stir fry gently to avoid stickiness.
• Add the salt and chilli powder as per your taste.
• This curry stays good up to 1 day at room temperature and up to 3-4 days when kept in refrigerator.

Result:

• The taste of this, okra fry / bhindi tadka, curry is medium in spice and texture is soft.
• It can be happily taken along with any rice, any bread, roti, chapathi, paratha. or along with lettuce wrap too.
  

  

Ingredients, Accessories on ‘AMAZON’ to ‘SHOP’:

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Okra Stir Fry / Bhindi Tadka / Bendakaya Thalimpu

VegCookBook by Praveena

South Indian style Okra stir fry / Bhindi tadka with very less oil includes full video recipe & tips for getting non-sticky side dish.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Accompaniment, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Servings 4 servings

Equipment

• Frying pan (for stove-top method)
• Kitchen knife

Ingredients

  

• 250 gms Okra/ Bhindi/ Bendakaya
• 3 tablespoons Cooking Oil
• 1½ teaspoons Salt (or as per taste)
• 1 teaspoon Red Chilli powder/ Paprika
• ¼ teaspoon Jeera Powder / Cumin Powder (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder/ Pasupu
• 4 pods Garlic pods (optional)

Ingredients for Tempering:

• ¾ teaspoon Urad dal / Minapappu / Split Black gram (optional)
• ¾ teaspoon Chana dal / Senagapappu / Split Yellow Gram (optional)
• ½ teaspoon Jeera / Cumin Seeds
• ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds / Aavalu
• ½ teaspoon Sesame Seeds/ Til/ Nuvvulu
• 3 count Dry Red Chillies
• 4 to 5 count Curry Leaves/ Karivepaku

Instructions

 

PREP WORK:

• Firstly, wash the okra/ bhindi/ bendakaya thoroughly.

  Pat them dry on paper towels so that they don't have water droplets.

  Cut them breadth wise into 1 inch size pieces. Keep aside.

COOKING:

• Put a frying pan on stove top under medium flame, add the oil and heat it up.

  Add all the ‘Ingredients for tempering’ along with garlic pods (optional) and saute them.
• Now, add all the okra/ bhindi pieces into the pan and toss/stir fry in between. 
• After 5 mins the pieces might be softened/ half cooked then add the salt and turmeric powder.

  Give everything a mix such that the salt is coated throughout the pieces. 
• Leave it for 3-4 mins until its fully fried (as per your preference).

  And then add the red chilli powder and jeera / cumin powder (optional)
• Mix everything gently, let the flame be on for 2 more mins.

  Switch the flame off, transfer the fry/curry into a serving bowl. Done!!

Notes

Please see the MAIN POST for step wise pics, tips & FULL VIDEO!

You can Pin it here for later use, Pinterest link:

Do leave a comment or hit the like or follow button, just in case you like my recipe! 

You can explore my other recipes by clicking the Recipe Category

Follow me on⇒  Facebook  / Pinterest  / YouTube  / Instagram