Bhendi Masala Fry Recipe

Lady’s Finger Masala, Dhaba Style

This is a tasty North Indian bhendi or lady’s finger recipe. Made in dhaba style, it will set your mouth watering. This quick okra masala recipe is one in which the lady’s fingers or bhendi don’t become slimy. Stir-fried with onions and a mix of zesty spices, it’s a lip-smacking vegetable with a mix of flavours.

Bhendi masala fry is an easy-to-cook dish that goes well with either rice or roti. This lady’s finger masala dhaba style recipe doesn’t need any special ingredients but uses regular everyday spices and ingredients you normally have in your kitchen.

As mentioned earlier, this is a dhaba style dish. So we won’t use a non-stick pan or vessel to make it as it needs to have that slightly burnt smoky flavour. Once you make and taste this mouth-watering dish, believe me, you’ll want to enjoy it again and again. It’s that tasty.

Another lady’s finger recipe that’s super tasty is this lady’s finger and prawns caldinho. Do check it out too.

Ingredients

400g lady’s fingers (bhendi)

1 tsp sour lime juice

2 ½ + 1 tbsp oil

5 green chillies, medium-size, chopped

3 medium-size onions, chopped

(Approx. 1 ¼ cup)

1 ½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

½ tsp asafoetida (hing)

3 tbsp grated fresh coconut (optional)

½ tsp turmeric powder

1 ½” piece of ginger, crushed

6 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp coriander (dhania) powder

½ tsp garam masala

2 tsp dry mango powder (amchur)

(OR 1 tbsp tamarind extract)

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

¼ cup chopped coriander leaves

Procedure

1. Wash and dry the lady’s fingers. Then chop off the top and the tip of each and cut them into two or three pieces each.
2. Next, let’s heat 2 and ½ tbsp of oil in a wok or kadai and sauté the chopped green chillies in it. Add the chopped lady’s fingers and toss this for a minute.
3. Then add the lime juice to the vegetable and toss everything again. The oil and the lime juice will cut through the slime and prevent the lady’s finger pieces from becoming slimy.
4. Continue sautéing the bhendi on medium or medium-low heat for around 8 – 10 minutes till it gets cooked and changes colour a little. Then remove it to a plate.
5. To the same kadai, add 1 tbsp of oil and then add in the chopped onions. Sauté these for around 3 minutes till they soften.
6. Then create a space in the centre, and add the cumin seeds, hing, and grated coconut. Toast this lightly for around a minute and then mix everything.
7. Next, add in the turmeric, the crushed ginger, and the crushed garlic. Mix everything and fry this for a minute or so.
8. Now mix in the coriander powder, garam masala, amchur and the chilli powder. Mix everything again.
9. Add in the chopped bhendi and carefully mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
10. Add the salt and the sugar, mix the bhendi masala well and then taste it. Adjust the taste by adding any of the spices already mixed in earlier.
11. Finally, garnish the vegetable with chopped coriander.

Enjoy!