Its cleaned, precut, easy to cook, gets cooked in a jiffy and is always in season! Yes, I am talking about frozen Bhindi/okra/ladiesfinger. We love bhindi in our family, but its not always in season, so what do you do when your child loves Bhindi/okra, and asks for it, but the only thing available is the frozen variety. So I tried cooking with frozen bhindi about 20 years back when I was new in this country. It was one gooey, slimy mess which I threw away.

I figured the problem was not the bhindi/okra itself but rather the ice that forms when bhindi is frozen. I experimented by putting the frozen bhindi on paper towels, so the water would be absorbed by the paper towels and what was left behind was ready to use bhindi/okra. I recently tried with whole uncut frozen okra,I just trimmed the ends and slit them lengthwise into two.

I find lots of advantages to using frozen bhindi/okra. First there is no need to wash, dry or cut the bhind/okra. Its already cleaned and cut-what a time saver! Second, it cooks very fast! Third, its always available! No matter what the season, its always in your freezer!

My favorite combination is Moong dal, Bhindi, Raita and fresh Rotis. Recently when I came back from vacation, the only thing in the freezer was a bag of frozen Bhindi/okra and thats what I made for dinner.

Some other recipes for Bhindi/okra on the blog are-Bhindi ki Kadhi-Punjabi Style, Achari Bhindi-Bhindi stuffed with Achari Masala ,Restaurant style Bhindi Masala and Bhindi Do Pyaza.

UPDATE-June,2020.I tried this recipe with whole uncut okra. The recipe remains the same. Just remove the ends and slit the okra/bhindi lengthwise and place on paper towels,cut side facing down. Replaced some old pictures with newer ones.

Here is the written recipe followed by the step by step pictorial one-

Bhindi do Pyaza using Frozen Bhindi/Okra

Aanchal Gupta

Non slimy and dry bhindi ki sabzi is possible using frozen bhindi/okra. Learn how to use frozen bhindi to make this delicious Bhindi Do Pyaza recipe.No difference between fresh and frozen bhindi! Vegan and Gluten Free.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Course Vegetables and Greens

Cuisine Indian

Servings cups cooked okra

Ingredients

1 28 oz 1 lb 12 oz794 gms bag of frozen Bhindi
2 small onions sliced
4 tbsp oil divided
1/4 tsp Ajwain Carom seeds
Pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
3/4 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Rai/Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Lal Mirch Powder/Red Chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp Dhania/Corainder powder
1/2 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango powder
Salt to taste

Instructions

Put a thick wad of newspaper and cover it with a few paper towels. Place cut okra in single layer on paper towel, facing down for about 1 1/2-2 hours.
Heat pan. Add 3 tbsp oil. Add Ajwain/carom. Stir.
Add Jeera/Cumin and Rai/Mustard and let it splutter.
Add Haldi/turmeric and mix well in oil.
Add Okra/Bhindi and give it a good stir.
Add Lal mirch/Red Chili and Dhania/Coriander powder and mix well.
DO NOT ADD ANY SALT AT THIS TIME.
Cover and cook till okra is half done.
Add sliced onions, 1 tbsp oil, salt as per taste and COOK WITHOUT A LID till almost done.
Add Amchur/Dry Mango powder in end and cook on high flame for just a few minutes.
Enjoy with dal and roti.

Notes

This is a very healthy recipe, as its made in minimum amount of oil. Okra can absorb a lot of oil. If you want to add more oil, you may.
To prevent bhindi from getting slimy, its important to not add salt in the beginning. The addition of any sour/tart ingredient prevents the bhindi from getting slimy. I have used dry mango powder as my sour ingredient. Some people may prefer to use a bit of lemon juice or tamarind paste.tamarind paste will alter the color of the okra and make it darker.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Here is the step by step pictorial recipe-