Kurkuri bhindi | How to make Crispy Okra fry
Kurkuri bhindi or crispy okra fry is a popular North Indian snack made with ladies finger, spices and flour. Both fried and baked methods are available in this post.
Bhindi or Ladies finger is an important vegetable in India and used in various recipes. In the South, the popular food items with ladies finger are Vendaikai poriyal, Bendakaya pulusu, vendakka varuthathu, Vendaikai puli kuzhambu, and Ladiesfinger morkuzhambu.
North Indian popular Ladiesfinger recipes are Bhindi masala, Okra fry, stuffed bhindi and this Kurkuri bhindi.
Can you bake/broil/air-fry to get crispy bhindi?
Ofcourse you can!! The good news is we can achieve the same level of crispness in baking too.
The trick is the right settings of temperature and time.
For baking, I used a 400°F preheated oven and baked for around 15 to 20mins. Go based on your oven type.
To do broil, keep the masala smeared Ladiesfinger on a broiler-safe pan. Broil in low heat for just 5 to 7 minutes.
Make sure to keep checking the bhindi to get to your desired crispness. An extra minute of broiling may cause the burning of the okra.
Tips to make this crispy bhindi:
The main ingredients I use for the crispness is rice flour and cornflour (corn starch).
When you add these two at the right proportion bhindi comes out nice and crisp every time. Some add more quantity of gram flour but I feel extra gram flour gives bajji taste.
Make sure to add only the required amount of water while mixing the masalas. Few sprinkles would be enough to make the masala stick to the vegetable.
You may like:
Watch the video of making Kurkuri bhindi and please subscribe if you like to see more recipe videos from my channel.
Kurkuri bhindi | How to make Crispy Okra fry
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Frying pan
- Baking sheet if baking
Ingredients
- 500 g Okra (Ladies finger/Bhindi)
- ¼ cup Rice flour
- 1 tbsp Cornflour
- 1 tbsp Gram flour
- ½ tbsp Chilli powder
- 1 tsp Jeera powder
- ½ tsp Garam masala
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric powder
- ¼ tbsp Chat masala (or Amchoor)
- 1 tsp Salt (as per taste)
- ½ lemon (1 tbsp lemon juice)
- 4 tbsp Water (approx.)
- 4 tbsp Oil (to shallow fry)
Instructions
Preparation:
- Wash the ladies finger vegetable well with running water. I used 400g of ladies finger in this recipe. Next pat-dry completely with a cotton kitchen cloth. There should not be any moisture left out in the bhindi. Chop off head and tail, slit vertically and remove the seeds. You can leave young seeds if you wish. Make multiple slits length wise and keep aside.
Recipe:
- Take the stripped okra in a large mixing bowl. Add 1/4 cup(4tbsp) rice flour, 1tbsp of corn starch and 1tbsp of gram flour. Next add the spice powders of your choice. I used 1/2tbsp of chilli powder, 1tsp of cumin powder, 1/2tsp of garam masala and 1/8tsp of turmeric powder.
- Also add a 1/2tbsp of chat masala for a special touch. You can use Amchoor powder in place of chat masala. Add a tsp of salt and mix all the dry spice powders with the vegetable.
- Next squeeze the juice of half a lemon and sprinkle few tbsp(approximately 1/4cup) of water. Note: Do not add water more than necessary. We need just a little moisture to make the masalas stick together with Okra.
How to bake crispy okra fry in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 400degF. Spread the masala mixed bhindi in a baking pan.
- Bake the okra for 15 to 20mins until crisp and brown. Time for baking varies depending upon the thickness of the strips you make. My kurkuri bhindi fry was done perfectly in 15mins in the preheated oven.
How to shallow fry in the pan:
- Heat 4tbsp of oil in a shallow frying pan. Spread the masala bhindi on the hot oil separately. Do not clamp the veggies together. Place the strips individually.
- Roast till the bottom sides become golden brown and crisp. It may take up to five minutes depending upon the thickness and sizes of the stripped okra. Flip the pieces and fry the other sides as well.
- Remove from oil and repeat the same for other batches. Serve this kurkuri bhindi hot while it is still crispy.
Video
Notes
1) Always use young vegetables to make this crispy bhindi fry. You can retain the seeds if they are too young.
2) You can use the same masala mix to stuff the slit bhindi and deep fry instead of shallow frying.
Nutrition
Preparation:
- Wash the ladies finger vegetable well with running water. I used 400g of Okra in this recipe.
- Next pat-dry completely with a cotton kitchen cloth. There should not be any moisture left out in the bhindi.
- Chop off head and tail, slit vertically and remove the seeds. You can leave young seeds if you wish.
- Make multiple slits lengthwise and keep aside.
Recipe:
- Take the stripped okra in a large mixing bowl.
- Add 1/4 cup(4tbsp) rice flour, 1tbsp of corn starch and 1tbsp of gram flour.
- Next, add the spice powders of your choice. I used 1/2tbsp of chilli powder, 1tsp of cumin powder, 1/2tsp of garam masala and 1/8tsp of turmeric powder.
- Also, add a 1/2tbsp of chat masala for a special touch. You can use Amchoor powder in place of chat masala.
- Add a tsp of salt and mix all the dry spice powders with the vegetable.
- Next, squeeze the juice of half a lemon and sprinkle a few tbsp(approximately 1/4cup) of water.
- The consistency should be like pakora batter.
Note: Do not add water more than necessary. We need just a little moisture to make the masalas stick together with Okra.
How to bake crispy okra fry in the oven:
- Preheat the oven to 400degF.
- Spread the masala mixed bhindi in a baking pan.
- Bake the okra for 15 to 20mins until crisp and brown. Time for baking varies depending upon the thickness of the strips you make.
- My kurkuri bhindi fry was done perfectly in 15mins in the preheated oven.
How to shallow fry in the pan:
- Heat 4tbsp of oil in a shallow frying pan.
- Spread the masala bhindi on the hot oil separately. Do not clamp the veggies together. Place the strips individually.
- Roast till the bottom sides become golden brown and crisp. It may take up to five minutes depending upon the thickness and sizes of the stripped okra.
- Flip the pieces and fry the other sides as well.
- Remove from oil and repeat the same for other batches.
- Serve this kurkuri bhindi hot while it is still crispy.
Tips:
1) Always use young vegetables to make this crispy bhindi fry. You can retain the seeds if they are too young.
2) You can use the same masala mix to stuff the slit bhindi and deep fry instead of shallow frying.
Nice mam
Thank you Suganthi.