Bhindi Kurkuri is a super easy and quick crispy deep fried snack using bhindi/okra with chickpea flour and some exotic Indian spices. It is perfect to be served as a side dish with your lunch/dinner or even as an accompaniment to your evening chai/coffee. Okra or “Bhindi” as we call it in the northern part of India (and sometimes lady’s finger) is one of those vegetables you need to flash cook to maintain its taste and crunch in a stir fry. Sometimes, being a typical Mangalorean, I do smother it with a coconut masala and cook it to make Bhindi Saglen or Bhindi Saung (will post these delicious Konkani creations soon!), Bhindi Kurkuri (“Kurkuri” is crispy in Hindi) is one of the most favored dishes in our house because of its crispy, crunchy texture and none of the sliminess associated with an okra curry. The fun part is, there is no prep involved.
Okra is washed, dried and slit into strips, then showered with a myriad of Indian spices (add all your favorites) and coated with besan or chickpea flour along with rice flour to add to the crispiness. The whole mixture is then deep fried (well, you could bake it but I beg of you to deep fry it to enjoy all of its crispy wonderness!) My choice of spices included coriander powder along with cumin powder for the aroma. Red chilli powder was stirred in for heat and I have added some Kashmiri red chilli powder too for color (this imparts more color than heat to any dish). Of course, how can you forget turmeric powder and some chaat masala powder (for the sour element)? Mix all these with prepared okra along with besan and rice flour to form an even coating and deep fry to a golden brown crispy perfection! Serve these immediately to enjoy its full crispiness. Some of it made its way to my mouth while I was frying! It serves as a very good side dish with your lunch or dinner. Now that you have seen how easy it is to make, I am sure you will try my version and enjoy it as much as we have.
How to make Bhindi Kurkuri:
Wash bhindi/okra thoroughly, dry them as much as possible (with a kitchen towel or leave in a colander for about 30 minutes) and trim the edges. Slice vertically into thin strips. If they are long, cut into two horizontally and then slit into long strips. Place strips of bhindi into a large mixing bowl.
Cook Time: 30 minutes
250 gm bhindi/lady’s finger/okra 1 teaspoon coriander powder ½ teaspoon red chilli powder 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder (for the color) ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder 1 teaspoon cumin powder ½ teaspoon chaat masala powder ¼ teaspoon hing/asafetida Salt to taste 3 to 4 tablespoons besan/chickpea flour 2 to 3 tablespoons rice flour Salt to taste Few curry leaves Oil for deep frying
Instructions Notes
Now, sprinkle all the spices, salt, 2 tablespoons of besan and 2 tablespoons of rice flour over the vegetable.
Gently mix with a spoon or clean hands to coat it evenly. Make sure the okra is evenly coated with the spices, besan and rice flour. If needed, sprinkle a few drops of water and add more besan or rice flour. Adding water may make the mixture a bit sticky, but helps in adhering the masala paste to the vegetable.
Do a taste test and add more spices if needed. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or deep saucepan. Deep fry the coated bhindi in batches. Try to separate the clumps of bhindi as much as possible. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Deep fry until crisp and golden brown on medium high heat; once the okra is cooked, you will notice that the oil bubbles will start to subside. Remove and place on absorbent paper to soak the excess oil. Deep fry curry leaves for a few seconds until crisp. Serve hot, spicy, crispy, golden brown bhindis garnished with fried curry leaves.
You can enjoy them as a tea time snack or even with rice and dhal.
This amazing, crispy fried Okra won a prize recently in an International contest for the theme “Side Dishes”. Check it out here
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Spicy Eggplant Bites:
Batata Ambado
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