Bhindi Masala with Onion, Tomato and Amchur
Lalkila Kitchen · Plant based · Vegetarian · Vegetables · Side dishes · Punjabi cooking · Everyday cooking
Cook the okra separately before introducing it to the onion-tomato base. That order lets the vegetable soften without asking a wet sauce to do all the work. This is a semi-dry side dish: the masala should cling to the pieces, making it easy to serve beside bread or a separate dal.
Ingredients
- 250 g okra
- 3 tbsp neutral cooking oil, divided
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 cup finely chopped tomato
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp each turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala and amchur
- 1/2 tsp crushed kasuri methi, optional
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
- Up to 1/4 cup water, only if needed
Method
- Wash and thoroughly dry okra. Trim and cut into short pieces.
- Heat two tablespoons oil in a broad pan. Sauté okra, stirring gently, until tender; lift out.
- Add remaining oil and soften onion. Stir in ginger-garlic paste, then tomato; cook until pulpy, adding a little water only if sticking.
- Stir in ground spices, then okra, salt and optional kasuri methi. Heat together until coated. Finish with coriander.
Cooking notes
Dry the pods before cutting and use a clean, dry knife. Give the okra enough room to contact the pan rather than piling it deeply. Taste a cooked piece for tenderness before lifting the batch out. The source identifies this as a Punjabi-style preparation; the optional fennel powder is omitted here. No cream or yoghurt is needed for this version.
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Source and adaptation
Adapted from Dassana Amit’s Bhindi Masala, Dassana’s Veg Recipes. Original recipe.
Retained the separate okra sauté and onion-tomato finish. Grouped equal spice measures, selected Kashmiri chilli and omitted optional fennel powder.
This is an editorial adaptation, not kitchen-tested by Lalkila. FoodSafety.gov cooking temperatures and safe food handling provide the safety references. The featured image is a generated illustration of this recipe.