Bhindi Do Pyaza (Restaurant-Style Okra, Onions Twice)
Okra fried until it is not slimy, then folded into an onion-tomato masala and finished with a high-heat tadka of onion layers and dried red chilies.
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai
- Small tadka pan
- Blender
Ingredients
For the okra
- 12 oz bhindi (okra / lady finger) about 340 g, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon oil
For the masala
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
- 2 medium onions finely chopped, about 2 cups
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1/2 inch ginger chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes pureed, about 3/4 cup
- 3/4-1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/2 cup water plus 2 to 4 tablespoons as needed
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon amchur (dry mango powder) or 1 teaspoon lemon juice
For the onion tadka
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium onion diced, layers separated
- 2 dried red chilies stems removed
- 1/2 inch ginger cut into thin juliennes
- fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
Prep the okra
- Rinse the bhindi. Wipe every pod dry with a towel, or wash the night before and air-dry on a plate.
- Trim the tops. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Wipe the knife if it gets sticky.
- Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree. Fine-chop 2 onions. Dice the third onion and separate the layers.
Fry the okra
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the kadhai over medium-high heat. Add the okra.
- Fry 7 to 9 minutes, stirring often, until the pieces look matte and no longer pull a string when you stir. They should be half-cooked, not soft. Transfer to a plate.
Make the masala
- Add 2 tablespoons oil to the same pan. Lower the heat. Add cumin and ajwain. Let them sizzle 10 to 15 seconds. Do not let the ajwain burn.
- Add the fine-chopped onions. Cook on medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until they turn gold. Add garlic and chopped ginger. Cook 40 to 60 seconds until the raw smell goes.
- Add the tomato puree. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until most of the moisture is gone and the masala looks thick.
- Add Kashmiri chili, coriander, garam masala, and salt. Stir 2 to 3 minutes on low heat until the oil looks a little separated and the masala smells cooked, not dusty.
- Pour in 1/2 cup water. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until the masala is thick enough to coat a spoon.
- Add the fried okra, kasuri methi, and amchur. Add 2 to 4 tablespoons more water if it looks dry. Mix gently.
- Cover and cook on medium-low 4 to 5 minutes, until the okra is tender and the masala clings. It should be spoonable, not watery. Taste for salt. Turn off the heat.
Onion tadka
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small pan on high heat. Add the separated onion layers. Fry about 2 minutes until they smell sweet and stay a little crunchy. They should look translucent, not brown.
- Add the dried red chilies. Fry 15 to 20 seconds until they smell smoky. Pull the pan if they start to blacken.
- Pour the onions, chilies, and oil over the bhindi. Add ginger juliennes and cilantro. Stir once from the sides so some onion and chili stay on top. Cover off the heat for 1 minute.
- Serve hot with roti, paratha, or rice.
Notes
Dry the okra completely before you chop. Wet pods turn slimy in the pan.
Do not cover the okra while it fries. Cover only after it is back in the finished masala.
Fine-chop the masala onions and puree the tomatoes. Chunks make the gravy separate.
The second onion must go in last. If you cook it with the first onion, you lose the do pyaza texture.
Frozen okra: thaw, pat dry, air-fry or roast until the surface is dry, then fold into the masala.
Skip garlic if you need a no-garlic plate. Add a pinch of hing with the cumin. It will taste quieter.
For a drier Punjabi home version, skip the tomato puree and the tadka. Fry the okra, add a lot of sliced onion, and cook until the onion is light gold. Finish with amchur and garam masala.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day. Reheated okra softens. This dish is best the night you cook it. I do not freeze it.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!