Easy Vegan Bhindi Stir-fry Recipe

A simple yet delicious Vegan Okra Stir fry with variations that are equally delicious.

Ladyfinger Stir-fry is a regular dish that we all enjoy. Since I buy Okra every week, yes every week I need variations to keep the “newness” of the dish alive. This yummy Okra Fry can be made with different variations every time.  The ladyfinger vegetable goes well with rotis, parathas, rice and dal or even with plain curds rice too! If you too are facing issues of making the same old bhaji in a newer more interesting avatar every week then read on. I will share variations to this humble bhindi bhaji that I make every week. Follow me on social media for more delicious recipes that are healthy and simple to make. You can also subscribe to my newsletter I promise not to spam you!

Contents:

• Why this Bhindi Bhaji?
• Recipe card
• Pro Tips to make a delicious Easy Vegan Bhindi Stir-fry Recipe
• Variations in Everyday Bhindi Bhaji
• Other Lady Finger Recipes
• Pin for Later

Why this Bhindi Bhaji?

Like I said Bhendi Bhaji is one constant in my place and I make it at least once a week. So when my girls rang and asked me how to make Bhindi Stir-fry I was surprised.  I thought they knew how to make it. They have seen me make it so many times. I think it was an eye-opener some foods are apart of our everyday meal and hence not on the blog. 

Bhindi is known as bhendi, bendikya, okra and ladyfinger this green slim veggie is available in the markets almost all through the year now but this is basically a winter vegetable.

Okay, so how do I choose Okra?

To make stir fry bhindi you need tender ones. 

• When you choose them from the greengrocer you can snip off/ pinch off the ends and buy only these. Only the vendor is going to get mad at you!
• So the other option is to press the vegetable between your fingers if it yields then buy it. An older bhindi will crunch in your fingers.
• Also, choose as far as possible straight ones and check if they have holes. These holey ones do not buy they have worms in them.

So now how do I make the Bhendikya Palya?

So once you have brought the bhindi they need to be washed, wait do not roll your eyes if your ladyfinger is wet you will end up with a slimy stir fry. So wash them and dry them well.

 I generally wash them in the evening and roll them in a tea towel and leave them overnight. In the morning slice them up. Now, these should not be too thin or too thick good medium-sized slices are fine.

This delicious okra stir-fry like any other Indian vegetable begins with the tempering.

• The oil you use for making the vegetable is your choice there are many who will prefer to use mustard oil but I use sunflower, groundnut or rice bran oil.  One word the amount of oil to make the stir-fry is a little extra. Like my friend summed up “bhindi tastes best when you use more oil”. 
• Now for the tempering use mustard and hing. You can also add jeera in the pan! Then there are Panch phoran fans too use that if you wish!
• Once the spluttering is done add the bhindi, mix and spread it in a single layer. If you are using a deep kadhai move it to the walls in a shallow pan its easier to spread it out.
  • Now a word of caution even if you are in a hurry do not cover the vegetable while cooking. Not unless you want a slimy mess in your hands. Moisture in bhindi at any time causes a slimy mess.
  • Stir occasionally. Too much staring also make it slimy.
  • Let the vegetable cook till it is almost done, as bhindi shrinks as it cooks now add chilli powder, salt, dhania jeera powder and stir to mix all the ingredients. Generally, I add a little amchur powder to as adding something sour kills the stickiness. 
• Mix and let the vegetable cook completely.
• Serve with roti, phulka rice and dal.

Recipe card:

Equipment you will need:

Pro Tips to make a delicious Easy Vegan Bhindi Stir-fry Recipe:

• Choose tender bhindi you should be able to snap the tail tips off or when you press the bhindi it should yield under your fingers. Avoid misshapen, curvy ones also check the vegetable as you add it to your basket. They should not have holes in them.
• Wash and dry your Okra completely. Moisture is your enemy here. If you are in a hurry use a damp tea towel to wipe down the bhindi.
• As you chop the vegetable keep an eye on the slices and discard any vegetable that has blackish looking seeds.
• Choose a bigger pan to make your vegetable. Do not crowd the ladyfinger as they cook.
• People keep complaining that their Ladyfinger Sabji is slimy. These are your tips to avoid slimy vegetable.
  • Your ladyfinger has to be dry. I know I am saying it often but then this is the first point where people go wrong.
  • Do not cover the vegetable when it is cooking. if you cover the vegetable moisture that it releases will cause the vegetable to become slimy.
  • Do not stir often this vegetable needs hardly any attention as it is cooking. Just stir occasionally so that it does not stick to the bottom.
  • Add a sour agent anything like amchoor, chaat masala, tomatoes, lemon this cuts the slimy strands down.

Variations in Everyday Bhindi Bhaji:

• Stir fry onions till translucent then add finely chopped tomatoes and cook them down to a fine mushy paste before you add your bhendi. The sour tomato will help in reducing the slime. Add lesser/no amchoor if using tomatoes.
• You can also add ginger garlic paste to the onion and tomato mixture to get a delicious bhindi masala.
• Add potatoes slices/cubed to the tempering. Half cook the potatoes before adding the bhindi.
• There are times when I add garlic chutney in the half-cooked bhindi. The taste is wonderful.
• The bhindi you can stir-fry till crisp then add to curds as raita. In place of stir-frying, you can also air fry them.
• One variation I make is adding salt, chilli powder, anchor, dhaniya jeera powder and a little rice flour and besan or chickpea flour. Toss the entire lot to mix well. In a kadhai heat oil add a spoonful of bhindi and fry them till crisp. Drain and repeat with the rest of the bhindi. (Will post the recipe soon.)
• Then there is one bhindi gojju that the girls love made with coconut. That is a gravy kind of dish that goes well with rice.
• Then you can stuff the bhindi, make bhindi masala with paneer, tofu or potatoes.

Other Lady Finger Recipes:

• Pepper Bhindi
• Bhindi Aur Paneer Masala a/s Lady Finger and Paneer Masala
• Vendakai Melugu Peretti or Spicy Fried Okra
• Chinch Gula Chi Bhendi Bhaji
• Baked Kurkuri Bhendi

Pin for Later: