Okra is a vegetable that is used in a lot of different cuisines all over the world. It has a few different names like Ladies Fingers, Gumbo, Bhindi, Bhinda, Vendakkai, Bendakkai…to name a few.
While it is a fairly easy vegetable to cook, it is easier to mess up and overcook the Okra and it just falls apart. Who wants slimy okra? Perfectly cooked Okra needs some TLC and attention. In this video, we show a simple and very hands-off way of cooking okra. We love the fact that there is minimum clean up required – so bonus points for that. What we like even more is that okra or bhindi is a very healthy vegetable – very high in fiber and said to have a lot of antioxidant properties – win-win situation!
Scroll down for video tutorial.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20-25 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Okra / Lady fingers / Bhindi – 1 lb
Onion – 1 medium
Oil – 2 Tablespoons + 1/2 Tablespoon
Salt – to taste
Amchur/ Dry Mango Powder – 1 teaspoon
Haldi/Turmeric Powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder – 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
Dhaniya Powder/ Coriander Powder – 1 teaspoon
Jeera Powder/ Cumin Powder – 1/2 teaspoon
Garam Masala – 1/2 teaspoon
Method:
1. Wash and pat dry the Okra.
2. Trim of both the ends and cut to approximately 1″ pieces.
3. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F (approx 200 degrees C)
4. Transfer them to a bowl and sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of Oil and toss them well.
5. Add in the spices (Salt, Amchur, Haldi, Red Chilli Powder, Dhaniya Powder, Jeera Powder and Garam Masala). Mix well.
6. Line a baking sheet with Parchment Paper (for easy clean-up) and transfer the Okra to the tray.
7. Spread the Okra so it’s evenly spread in a single layer, preferably.
8. Bake for 10 minutes.
9. Meanwhile, slice the onions and transfer to the same bowl as the one used to mix Okra.
10. Add 1/2 Tablespoon of Oil and a little Salt.
11. Mix well.
12. Once the 10 minutes are up, take the Okra out of the oven and add Onions to the tray of Okra.
13. Mix well.
14. Put the tray back into the Oven for another 10-15 minutes.
15. Keep am eye on the oven and take the sheet out once the Okra looks done.
16. Transfer to a serving dish and serve.
Tips:
1. Cut the Okra length-wise for a different look.
2. The smaller you cut the Okra, the faster it’s going to cook.
3. Change out the spices and try something new.
4. It is very important to pat dry the Okra before cooking, else it will get slimy and take longer to cook.
5. Everyone’s ovens are different, keep an eye on it. Once you make a couple of times, you’ll be able to make Okra with your eye closed.
6. Add diced tomatoes at the end for a different flavor.
I baked the okra and also small cubes of potatoes with the spices. I finished cooking the dish on the stove with some onions. It was delicious , first time my okra tasted so good. It’s a fantastic technique to bake it first. Will follow this method all the time from now on. Thank you !
Hi Anisha,
Thanks for your feedback and glad the recipe worked well for you.
Happy Cooking!
baked is healthy but there is the same amount of oil used if cooked on the stove I was referring to the baked okra recipe