Crispy Aloo Bhindi - Stir Fried Okra & Potatoes

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Crispy Potatoes and Okra

This translates to “potatoes & okra”. This is such a simple recipe that’s so flavorful and doesn’t take much time at all to make! I used to find this dish absolutely boring and abhorred eating it! Why? Well, this was my dad’s favourite dinner, so my mom made it pretty much every day! It’s not necessarily that I couldn’t stand the okra or that I didn’t like her recipe, this dish was just served all the time! If you know me, you know I like variety! I’ll make a dish very frequently (ahem, at the time of writing this, you’ll know it’s poutine if you follow me on Instagram) if I’m really obsessed with trying to nail the perfect recipe. All you recipe developers will totally relate that it becomes a personal mission to try to get your dish just the way you want it, and nothing short of perfection! That just means eating more deliciousness!

HOWEVER I’ll be the first to admit that once I nail that recipe, get it out to you lovely folks, I probably won’t make it again for a really long time, even if I love the dish! So my mom made this dish very well, but I just couldn’t stand seeing it over and over again. I ran from it like the plague when I moved to Canada!

That being said, with my eagerness to avoid anything to do with bhindi aloo it became a forgotten gem. Another reason is that I wasn’t even really sure you got okra in Canada! Don’t ask me why, I just never thought about looking for it at the grocery store. But lo and behold, when I intentionally searched the store just for the sake of preparing this dish, it turns out you do get okra! Yay! I mean, if you’re a regular okra eater this story probably sounds completely ridiculous to you, but I’m just being completely honest with my thought process here!

If you enjoy Crispy Aloo Bhujia as I certainly do (I eat it pretty much at least once a week!), but want some extra veggies for a great crunch, then this is the recipe for you! Even if you’re not the biggest fan of okra - let’s be real here, I don’t know when I’d eat okra except in this dish - then I think you’ll find a way to use it in here and eat it again and again!

This bhindi aloo recipe is the perfect lunch or dinner when you’re short on time. Every time I make it I’m blown away at how fast this dish comes together! You can make it vegan if you use another type of oil instead of ghee to sauté your potatoes and okra.

Ingredients for Crispy Aloo Bhindi Fry Recipe

You won’t need many ingredients to make this delicious crispy okra and potato recipe! Let’s review the ingredients:

• Potatoes: Peel the potatoes and rinse thoroughly, then cut into small bite-sized cubes. I recommend you use yellow potatoes because they will give the best flavor, but if you can’t find Yukon gold yellow potatoes, white potatoes or russet potatoes will work just fine.
• Okra: Cut your okra into round pieces.
• Ghee: Just a little bit for cooking. If you want to make this recipe vegan, use any plant-based cooking oil. Keep in mind that different oils will give a slightly different flavor, so use your favourite oil depending on what flavor you are looking for.
• Whole spices: Cumin seeds and dried Kashmiri red chilies add warmth and complete this dish.
• Ground spices: Hing and turmeric is all we will need. Turmeric helps with color and a simple grounded flavor, while hing aids with digestion.
• Salt. To taste, as always!

That’s not much at all right? Some recipes use onions and tomatoes, but I like to keep my potatoes and okra very simple.

How to Make Bhindi Aloo

Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add your cooking oil, cumin seeds, dried Kashmiri red chilies and hing. Allow the cumin seeds to crackle until they become reddish brown in color and become fragrant.

Rinse the cubed potatoes, drain and add to pan, mix well and cover and cook for 5-8 minutes.

Then, remove cover and stir well, cover again and cook for 5-7 more minutes. Check if the potatoes are cooked by breaking large pieces with the back of a spatula/wooden spoon. Potatoes should be light golden brown all around.

Add the turmeric, stir well and cook for 2-3 more minutes.

Once potatoes are cooked, to make them crispier cook for 3-4 minutes uncovered while stirring well.

Season with salt to taste then add your bhindi.

Serving Suggestions

There are so many amazing options that you can serve this bhindi aloo recipe with! Of course you can always have this on its own, but it’s not really a complete meal!

Here are some pairing ideas:

• Basmati Rice - Boiled or Steamed
• Light & Healthy Vegetable Rice Pulao
• Paratha
• Homestyle Roti
• Maseladar Chana Dalor any dal of your choice!
• Pickle of your choice (I like brinjal and mango pickle!)
• Dahi (yogurt)

Storing Leftovers

I’m always honest in this section, so I’ll admit that I really recommend you serve this fresh! You’ve put in the effort to make your potatoes and okra nice and crispy, so they will soften up if you’re not serving immediately. Of course you can make this ahead of time if you really want to if you are meal prepping or making this for a tiffin box, it will still be delicious, but you will lose the crispiness that you achieve when you serve hot and fresh!

With that being said, if you really want to make this ahead of time, transfer leftover aloo bhindi into an airtight container and store in the fridge. This Aloo bhindi recipe will stay good in the fridge for about 3-4 days.

Tips to Perfect Your Fried Okra and Potatoes

• Crispy golden brown potatoes and okra is the way to go!
• Use the freshest vegetables available and simply spice the dish with cumin, hing, turmeric and salt. Enjoy the freshness.
• Serve the dish right away to enjoy the crispy texture.
• Pair with paratha or roti with a side of yogurt for one of the best, simplest combinations.

Frequently Asked Questions