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Kurkuri Bhindi is a Indian style, gluten-free, crispy okra (ladyfinger) fry. What I love most about the crispy bhindi recipe – you can either deep-fry or air-fry it. Be sure to watch the video!
Indian Style Crispy Okra Fry
Kurkuri Bhindi is a popular vegetarian side dish to serve with Indian main-course dishes, especially curries. Tender okra (bhindi) marinated in a spicy, gluten-free, vegan marinade and then fried till crisp.
If you have an okra hate club member in your family, this crispy bhindi fry will change their opinion forever.Over the years, kurkuri bhindi has become a regular affair on an everyday lunch plate.
How To Prepare Okra For Frying
Start with picking the fresh and tender okra (ladyfinger) for making crispy bhindi.
Wash them with water, and let them sit on a colander to drain all the water or spread on a kitchen towel to air dry. The idea is to have dry and moisture-free okra while slicing.
Rub a teaspoon of oil in your finger and the knife. Remove the crown and the tip of the okra.
Cut each piece lengthwise into four thin strips/sticks. If the okra is big, cut it into half to have equal-length sticks.
Discard the white seeds as they pop and splutter while frying the okra.
Ingredients Required
Kurkuri Bhindi is a no onion, no garlic, no tomato recipe. Apart from okra (ladyfinger), you need a handful of Indian spices and seasoning to make it.
Flour: Gram Flour (besan) and Rice Flour. Both of these flour are gluten-free.
Spices: Red Chili Powder, Turmeric Powder, Dried Mango Powder (Amchur), Cumin Powder, Chaat Masala, Coriander Powder
Other Ingredients: Refined Oil, Salt, Water
Optional Ingredients: Achaar Masala, Nigella Seeds, Ajwain (Carom Seeds)
Watch Kurkuri Bhindi Video
Air Fryer Crispy Bhindi
The good news is you can make this delicious, positively addictive crispy bhindi in an air fryer with only a few tablespoons of oil.
Step 1) Preheat the air fryer to 180 degrees Celcius. Spray or brush the inner basket with cooking oil.
Step 2) Combine sliced okra with the dry (flour, salt, spices) marinade ingredients (images 1 & 2).
Step 3) Add a tablespoon of water and 2 tablespoons of oil to the marinated okra. Mix nicely. This helps in sticking marinade to the okra (image 3).
Step 4) Arrange them on a single layer in the air fryer basket (image 4). Air Fry for 20 minutes with turning the food after 10 minutes. I prefer shaking the basket 2 – 3 times during the process. Keep an eye on the okra while air frying; at times, they get ready in 15 – 16 minutes.
My Tried & True Tips
There are key points to keep in mind while making crispy bhindi. Otherwise, you might end up with an inedible version of the dish. It happened to me during the initial phase of the kurkuri bhindi recipe trial. So, follow my tried and true tips to the tee.
- Ensure the bhindi (okra) is completely dry before chopping and marinating. Else, it might turn sticky to handle.
- While marinating the okra in the masala, do not add water. We do not require too much liquid batter for the marinade.
- Always shallow fry the okra over medium heat, so they cook evenly from the inside.
- Do not wait for the okra to get crisp while shallow frying. You need to bring it out of the oil just before it is about to turn crisp because fried okra turns crisper once it comes out of the oil.
- Serve bhindi fry immediately post shallow frying as this dish does not stand the re-heating process very well.
Serving Suggestion
Kurkuri Bhindi is a fantastic Indian side dish that compliments most of the curries and dals. I serve it with various Indian main course dishes like Rajma Masala, Arhar (Toor) Dal Fry, Punjabi Kadhi Pakora chapati/phulka, and rice.
FAQs Related To Kurkuri Bhindi
How to cook okra, so it’s not slimy?
Always pick tender and medium-size okra as they are less slimy. Wash your okra before cutting and pat them completely dry using a paper towel or soft cotton cloth. Grease the chopping knife with a teaspoon of mustard or cooking oil before cutting/slicing okra. Follow these tips, and you will never end up with slimy okra.
Can I store kurkuri bhindi?
Serve crispy okra immediately post shallow frying as this dish does not stand the re-heating process very well. It turns soft and less crunchy.
Can I bake kurkuri bhindi?
Yes, you can bake and air-fry the marinated okra. However, baking takes more time than air frying the okra.
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Pin
Kurkuri Bhindi Recipe
Kurkuri Bhindi is a Indian style, gluten-free, crispy okra (ladyfinger) fry. Learn how to make crispy bhindi fry in a few simple steps.
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 721kcal
Author: Hina Gujral
Ingredients
- 500 Gram ladyfinger/okra/bhindi
- ½ Cup gram flour (besan)
- 1 Teaspoon achaar ka masala/pickle masala powder (see recipe)
- 1 Teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 Teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 Teaspoon dry mango powder (amchur)
- 1 Teaspoon coriander powder (dhaniya powder)
- Salt to taste
- 4 Cup cooking oil
Instructions
Prepare Okra/Bhindi:
Wash the ladyfingers. Spread them on a dry kitchen towel. Pat dry using a paper napkin or kitchen towel. Remove pointed top and bottom tip of the okra.
Make a slit lengthwise in the okra without cutting them into two equal halves. Thinly slice the ladyfinger into strips. If the size of the okra is too cut into half before slicing. Remove the seeds.
Marinate Okra/Bhindi:
Combine sliced okra/bhindi with salt and spices. Mix nicely using fingers. Keep it aside for 5 – 6 minutes for ladyfinger to release their juices a bit.
Add gram flour and coat each piece of ladyfinger with the flour. Keep it in the fridge till you are ready to fry the okra.
Fry Okra/Ladyfinger:
Heat oil in a wide frying pan. Once the oil is heated reduce the heat to medium.
Fry marinated okra/ladyfinger in small batches till crisp from all the sides. Transfer to a metal colander. Similarly, fry the entire batch of marinated okra.
Serve Kurkuri Bhindi with Arhar Dal ( see recipe ) and Phulka for lunch.
Recipe Notes:
- Make sure okra is completely pat dry before cutting and slicing.
- Adding pickle masala powder in marinade is optional. It is only for the taste.
- While marinating the okra in the masala do not add water. Let the marinade moisten with the juices of the okra.
- Do not wait for the okra to get crisp while frying. You need to bring it out of the oil just before it is about to turn crisp. Because fried okra turn crisper once it comes out of the oil.
- Serve crispy okra immediately post shallow frying as this dish does not stand re-heating process very well. It turns soft post re-heating.
Nutrition
Calories: 721kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 276mg | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 291mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 843IU | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 6mg
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