Chicken Bhindi is an Indian spicy okra masala recipe that consists of chicken thigh, okra, tomatoes, and other spices & herbs. It is best to serve with rice or roti bread.

Jump to:

When it comes to Indian cuisine, I love food that is rich in tomato gravy and spices since it makes the food delicious. Although their gravy is a bit oily, their spices are what make it flavorful and nutritious.

The chicken okra masala is similar to the Middle Eastern variation dish I ate called Bamia. They are both okra with tomato stew, but the difference is the kind of spices used in the recipe. Also, the bamia is not spicy, which makes it preferable for those with a stomach problem.

In this post, I am going to show you something different I cooked my Indian version of the Chicken Bhindi recipe but with a Middle Eastern twist. So basically, this is an Arabian-Indian Okra Masala dish.

Recipe Ingredients

Here are the ingredients to make this delicious Chicken Bhindi Recipe:

Chicken: I am using a skinless Chicken Thigh for my recipe since I find it moist and juicy.

Okra: These are the main ingredients for this bhindi recipe. To know how to remove the sliminess, check in the next paragraph below

Spices: To add flavor to this recipe, I am using garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and red chili powder (optional) if you want it spicy. I am not a fan of foods that are too spicy, so I add just a little chili powder.

Tomatoes and Tomato Paste: These are needed to make the gravy red.

Herbs: You will need red onion, ginger-garlic paste, coriander leaves, and black lemon. They are one of the main ingredients that are needed to upgrade the flavor of this delicious recipe. Also, black lemon is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisines, but in my experience, this is what gives a sweet-tart taste which enhances the flavor of the okra masala dish.

Other Ingredients: The rest of the ingredients you will need is water and vegetable oil.

Right way to cook the Okra

The thing about okra is that if you don’t cook it in the right way, the stew or soup will be sticky which may look unappetizing. I love okra and I find it delicious and healthy, but I don’t like my stew to be slimy.

So what I did is I cooked the okra in a separate pan with vegetable oil by pan-frying it. In this cooking method, the sliminess of the okra will disappear and once you are done, I set it aside while preparing my chicken bhindi recipe.

Cooking Instruction

Once you are done with the okra, here are the next steps on how to cook this delicious chicken okra masala recipe:

• Firstly, I add 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil which when it’s hot, I added ginger garlic paste and stir for 30 seconds.
• Next, I added the chopped red onion which I stir till it turns translucent.
• Add the chicken thigh and tomatoes, and let it cook for 5 minutes.

• Once the tomato is soft, I add the spices (garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and red chili powder). Make sure you give a quick stir before pouring the water.
• Once it started to boil, I add the black lemon and have it simmer for 25 minutes. Also, make sure you add salt and black pepper during the simmering process.
• Lastly, add the coriander leaves and the cooked okra to the cooking pot. Stir to combine and let it cook for 3-5 more minutes before turning off the heat.
• Serve it with rice or roti bread. But I preferably find the former a better option.

Substitution and Tips

• You can beef or lamb instead of chicken
• If you don’t like spicy, you can just skip the red chili powder
• I like to serve this chicken bhindi with Middle Eastern salad like the Arabic Salad since it blends well
• If you are looking for vegetarian or vegan-friendly, you can skip the chicken and replace it with tofu or other vegetables such as potatoes or carrots.
• Pour less water if you prefer your okra masala dry- not much tomato gravy.

Other Indian Masala Recipes to Try

Here are other delicious Indian masala recipes, with tomato as the based ingredients, you can make at home:

1. Eggplant Masala (Brinjal Masala)

2. Prawn Masala

3. Butter Chicken

📋 Recipe Card