Bendekayi Palya | Simple Okra Masala

Bendekayi Palya/ Okra Masala is an excellent side dish for chapatis or rice and dal. It’s made with okra, onion, ginger-garlic, tomatoes, and spices.

I learned this recipe from my mom, and it’s our go-to okra recipe for chapatis now. It’s delicious and super easy to make. Simply sauté okra in a tablespoon of oil on high heat in a non-stick pan for a couple of minutes to get rid of the mucilage and until okra is 70% cooked. Then make a masala with garlic, onion, tomatoes, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and cumin-coriander powder and mix the sauteed okra together with it. Cook for a couple more minutes and serve.

Read on to know how to make this side dish. I hope you try this recipe and love it as much as I do!

Ingredients:

250g Okra
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 cloves of garlic, minced
8-10 curry leaves
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Clean okra in water and pat them dry. Slice them into 1/4-inch slices as shown below.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan. Transfer the chopped Okra to the pan and sauté them for 4-5 minutes on high heat until the mucilage from the okra goes away.

Transfer the sautéed okra onto a plate. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the same pan. Once the oil is hot enough, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they pop and sizzle, add minced garlic, curry leaves, and chopped onion. Sauté the onion on low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until they are translucent.

Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell goes away. Add chopped tomatoes, sprinkle salt, cover, and cook on low heat until they are soft and mushy.

Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder, and sauté for a couple of seconds. Continue cooking on low heat for a minute or until the masala comes together.

Add sautéed okra and combine. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary. Enjoy yummy bendekayi palya with chapatis or as a side dish with rice and dal.


Bendekayi Palya

Easy and delicious okra masala, an excellent side dish for chapati, made with okra, ginger-garlic, onion, tomato and spices.

  • non-stick pan
  • 250 g Okra
  • 3 tbsp cooking oil
  • ½ tsp mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • 1 medium red onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 medium tomatoes (finely chopped)
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tbsp red chili powder
  • ½ tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • salt to taste
  1. Clean okra in water and pat them dry. Slice them into 1/4-inch slices as shown below.

  2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan. Transfer the chopped okra to the pan and sauté them for 4-5 minutes on high heat until the mucilage from the okra goes away.

    Transfer the sautéed okra onto a plate. 

  3. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the same pan. Once the oil is hot enough, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they pop and sizzle, add minced garlic, curry leaves, and chopped onion. Sauté the onion on low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until they are translucent.

  4. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell goes away. Add chopped tomatoes, sprinkle salt, cover and cook on low heat until they are soft and mushy.

  5. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder, and sauté for a couple of seconds. Continue cooking on low heat for a minute or until the masala comes together.

  6. Add sautéed okra and combine. Cover and cook on low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes.

  7. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.

  8. Enjoy yummy bendekayi palya with chapatis or as a side dish with rice and dal.

Side Dish
Indian
Bendekayi Palya, Bhindi Masala, Okra Masala

Let me know if you tried this recipe by tagging a picture of your preparation on my Instagram @swaadista and using #swaadistarecipes.

Happy cooking, happy eating!

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