Okra and bhindi
Okra goes by many names: bhindi in Hindi and Urdu, dherosh in Bengali, bamya in Turkish and Arabic cooking, and lady's finger in older English cookbooks. Fresh okra is a weekly staple for… 5 Products
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Okra and bhindi
Okra goes by many names: bhindi in Hindi and Urdu, dherosh in Bengali, bamya in Turkish and Arabic cooking, and lady's finger in older English cookbooks. Fresh okra is a weekly staple for many of our customers, and we offer it in 250 g packs or as a 1 kg bag for bigger households.
When time is short, frozen bhindi is a lifesaver: cut okra (340 g) for curries and bhaji, or small whole pods (400 g) that keep their shape in a slow stew. There's also tinned whole okra and Ashoka's ready-to-eat bhindi masala for a quick lunch at your desk.
Okra pairs nicely with other desi vegetables such as lauki, parwal and tori or with bitter gourd. For heat, choose from our chilli powders, from mild and colourful Kashmiri to extra hot.
How to cook okra without the slime
Okra turns slimy when it's cut wet or steamed under a lid. A few simple habits keep your bhindi dry and crisp:
- Wash the pods, then dry them completely on a tea towel before slicing.
- Use a sharp, dry knife and trim off the stalk and tip.
- Fry in a wide pan with enough oil and leave the lid off; don't overcrowd it.
- Add acidic ingredients such as tomato, amchur or lemon only at the end.
- Salt last, as it draws out moisture.
Fresh okra keeps for two or three days in a paper bag in the salad drawer. Frozen bhindi goes straight from the freezer into a hot pan. You'll find the spices for bhindi masala in spices and masala and more fresh produce under fruit and vegetables.
Frequently asked questions
What is bhindi called in English and German?
Bhindi is okra in English, sometimes called lady's finger, and Okra or Okraschote in German. Bengali speakers call it dherosh and Turkish cooks know it as bamya, so our product names include all of these.
Should I thaw frozen okra before cooking?
It's better not to. Put frozen bhindi straight into a hot pan with oil and fry it uncovered until the water has evaporated. Thawed okra softens quickly and tends to turn slimy in the pan.
How can I tell if okra is fresh?
Fresh okra is bright green, firm and small to medium in size, and the tip snaps cleanly when you bend it. Very large, hard or brown-spotted pods tend to be fibrous and less tender once cooked.
What can I cook with okra?
Popular dishes include bhindi masala with onion and tomato, crispy bhindi fry, Bengali dherosh bhaji with nigella seeds, and Turkish bamya, a tomato stew often made with lamb. Sliced okra also works well in dal.