Kurkuri Bhindi is a dish loved by all. For that matter bhindi, Okra or Lady’s Finger is quite a versatile vegetable. Not only can it be cooked in a zillion different ways ,it is seldom disliked. Most kids who would say no to all green veggies will say yes to the bhindi. One of my favorite ways to eat bhindi is just stir frying it in mustard oil with diced onions and potatoes; no spices, just turmeric , salt and green chilies. If made well it makes for the perfect side with hot ghee rice and daal. Most Indian kids may (or may not) have fond memories of eating bhindi with pooris or parathas in their school lunchbox. I also have a Zaatar flavoured Sesame-Peanut Bhindi recipe on the blog that you will love.

This dish however was not an everyday thing growing up. One would eat it at restaurants or parties and celebrations. I do not think if my mother ever made it at home. But things are quite different these days and almost all popular restaurant dishes are being recreated at home so I decided to my own baked version at home.

The recipe itself is pretty straightforward but it does need some prep and tedious slicing. Because we are baking and not frying the bhindi (which is how this dish is traditionally made), it is imperative that all slices are more or less similar in size for even baking.

Preparing Bhindi (okra) for Baked Kurkuri Bhindi

1. Make sure you use the most tender bhindi for this recipe
2. Wash the bhindi well one by one under running water
3. Drain well and spread out on a clean kitchen towel and let dry preferably for a few hours . This can be done well ahead of time
4. In case you wash, dry and place bhindi in the refrigerator, bring it out a couple of hours before cooking and wipe well with a kitchen towel before slicing
5. Next, chop off the tip and the bottom then working carefully slice the bhindi vertically into half; then further slice the halves into thin sticks (see video below for reference)
6. Discard the seeds
7. You can even refrigerate the bhindi for unto a day in advance at this stage

Ingredients

1. Bhindi/Okra: 150 grams
2. Besan or chickpea flour: 1/4 cup
3. Rice flour: 1 tbsp
4. Amchoor+Chaat Masala- 1 teaspoon
5. Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp
6. Turmeric powder- 3/4 tsp
7. Red Chili powder: 1 tsp or as per taste
8. Coriander powder: Little less than 1 tsp
9. Ajwain (carrot seeds)-1/2 tsp
10. Mustard Oil: Approximately 1/3 cup and a little extra
11. Lime juice : 1 tbsp
12. Salt: 1 tsp or as per taste

Method for Baked Kurkuri Bhindi

1. Preheat your oven to 220 degrees for a minimum of 15 minutes. The bhindi will not turn out nice and crispy if the oven is not hot enough
2. Line a baking sheet with foil and then place a sheet of baking parchment on top. This makes sure the bhindi will not stick to the bottom and come out easily
3. Add all the dry ingredients with the bhindi, mix well and add mustard oil and give it a final mix. Do not add salt at this stage
4. Mix in the lime juice and bake for 7-10 minutes or until the bhindi is half cooked and still retains its green colour . The time may vary based on the oven
5. Add salt, mix well and bake for another 5-7 minutes
6. If through the process you feel the mix is too dry feel free to spray some more oil while baking

Watch a step by step recipe video here

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