Bharwa Bhindi Masala is a popular Indian side dish recipe made by stuffing okra with a flavorful mix of peanut and dry spice powders. "Bharwa" means stuffed, and "bhindi" refers to okra in Hindi. This dish is vegan, gluten-free, and low-carb/Keto-friendly. Instructions for both the air fryer and stovetop pan are included to make crispy bharwa bhindi easily.
Bharwa Bhindi/Bhendi, or stuffed okra, is a moderately spicy, healthy, and flavorful dry dish commonly prepared in Indian households for lunch or dinner. It is typically served as a side dish with roti, chapati, or steamed rice.
The stuffing, or "bharwa," is the heart of the Bharwa Bhindi recipe. There are several variations for preparing the filling, but today, I am sharing a flavorful bharwa bhindi masala recipe made with roasted peanut powder and aromatic spice blends.
Make sure to dry roast the peanuts first and then powder them coarsely. You can prepare this powder ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life. Once ready, combine the powdered peanuts with Indian dry spices, stuff the mixture inside the okra, and cook to perfection in an air fryer or on stovetop tawa or skillet.
Other dry vegetable side dishes I make in the air fryer include air fryer aloo gobi, air fryer roasted cauliflower, and air fryer roasted potatoes. These dishes turn out crispy and delicious with minimal oil.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Okra (Ladies finger): Use fresh, tender green okra.
- Roasted peanut powder: I first dry roast the peanuts in air fryer or pan at home and then powder them coarsely.
- Spices: coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala, amchur powder, fennel powder (saunf powder).
How to Make Bharwa Bhindi in an Air Fryer
Firstly, rinse 20-22 bhindi/okra (about 230 grams) and pat them dry with a clean towel. Next, cut the top and bottom parts of the bhindi. Slit in between.
To prepare the stuffing masala, take a small bowl and add 3 tablespoons roasted peanut powder, 1 tablespoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon amchur (dry mango) powder, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds powder, and salt. Mix everything well.
Next, add 1 tablespoon of oil and combine well. Oil is added to help spices stick to the bhindi when stuffed.
Stuff the prepared masala in the bhindi and keep it aside. Remove the large seeds from bhindi before stuffing if required.
Preheat the air fryer to 360°F (180°C). Add the stuffed okra to the air fryer basket and spread them in a single layer (cook in batches if required). Slightly brush or spray some oil on top.
Air fry them at 360°F (180°C) for 10-12 minutes. Remove the basket for about 8 minutes and flip the bhindi. Brush some oil if you feel the stuffed okra is dry.
Serve Air fryer Bharwa Bhindi Masala hot with steamed rice or roti.
Stovetop Pan Method
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan on medium heat. Place the stuffed okra with the stuffed side facing up in a single layer. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. After that, cover the pan and cook on low flame for another 3-4 minutes, allowing the okra to cook through and absorb the flavors.
- Then open the cover, and gently flip the bhindi. Cover and cook from all sides for 5 to 6 minutes until it's tender and done.
What to Serve with Bharwa Bhindi?
Serve Bharwa Bhindi as a side dish with roti, paratha, jeera rice, or instant pt white basmati rice and dal fry.
Variations
- Bharwa Bhindi with Coconut: You can replace powdered peanuts with dried coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut, along with dry spice powders for the stuffing. Or use a combination of coconut and peanut powder.
- Bharwa Bhindi with Besan: You can also make Bharwa Bhindi with besan by replacing roasted peanut powder with besan (gram flour). Simply roast the besan on low flame until fragrant before adding it to the recipe.
- Some people also use only dry spice powders for stuffing.
Expert Tips
- Choose Fresh Okra: Choose fresh and tender okra to make this recipe.
- Remove excess moisture: Make sure to pat dry the okra completely with a kitchen towel otherwise, it turns slimy while cooking.
- Cook in batches: Make sure to spread the stuffed okra in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving some space between each other. Cook in batches if needed. For the stovetop version, it's important to cook stuffed bhindi on a medium-low flame for even cooking of bhindi on all sides.
More Air Fryer Indian Recipes
Bharwa Bhindi (Stuffed Okra) Recipe - Air Fryer and Stovetop
Ingredients
- 230 grams okra (about 20-22)
- 2 teaspoons oil (for air frying)
Stuffing Masala
- 3 tablespoons roasted peanut powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon amchur powder
- ½ teaspoon fennel powder optional
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil for stuffing
Instructions
- Firstly, rinse bhindi and pat them dry with a clean towel. Cut the top and bottom part of the bhindi. Slit in between.
- For making the masala for stuffing. Take a small bowl, add roasted peanut powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, amchur powder, fennel seeds powder, and salt. Mix well.Next, add a tablespoon of oil and combine well. Oil is added to help spices stick to the bhindi when stuffed.
- Stuff the prepared masala in the bhindi and keep it aside. Remove the large seeds from bhindi before stuffing if required.
Air Fryer Method
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F (180°C). Add the stuffed okra to the air fryer basket and spread them in a single layer (cook in batches if required). Slightly brush or spray some oil on top.
- Air fryer them at 360°F (180°C) for 10-12 minutes. Remove the basket at about 8 minutes and flip the bhindi. Brush some oil if you feel stuffed okra is dry.
- Bharwa bhindi is ready to be served.
Stovetop Pan Method
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan on medium heat. Place the stuffed okra with stuffed side facing up in a single layer. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. After 2-3 minutes, cover and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on low flame.
- Then open the cover, gently flip the bhindi. Cover and cook from all sides for 5 to 6 minutes until it's tender and done.
Notes
Tips For Making Bharwa Bhindi Recipe
- Choose Fresh Okra: Choose fresh and tender okra to make this recipe.
- Remove excess moisture: Make sure to pat dry the okra completely with a kitchen towel otherwise, it turns slimy while cooking.
- Cook in batches: Make sure to spread the stuffed okra in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving some space between each other. Cook in batches if needed. For the stovetop version, It's important to cook stuffed bhindi on medium-low flame for even cooking of bhindi on all sides.
- Spices: Adjust the spices according to your preference.
Variations With Bharwa Bhindi
- Bharwa Bhindi with Coconut: You can replace powdered peanuts with dried coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut, along with dry spice powders for the stuffing. Or use a combination of coconut and peanut powder.
- Bharwa Bhindi with Besan: You can also make Bharwa Bhindi with besan by replacing roasted peanut powder with besan (gram flour). You can roast besan on low flame till fragrant before adding.
- Some people also use only dry spice powders for stuffing.
Nutrition
★ Like this recipe? FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube for more quick & easy recipes.
Elaine
I searched online for roasted peanut powder and the most common result is peanut butter powder. Is this the same thing? If not, do you think it would be ok to use in this recipe? I love okra and your recipes so I'd love to try this!
Bhavana Patil
Hi Elaine, roasted peanut powder and peanut butter powder are different.
If you have store-bought roasted peanuts, just grind/blend them in a spice jar to a smooth powder.
I also get raw peanuts from the grocery store and roast them in air fryer (recipe on my blog) or roast on a pan till golden brown.
You could also substitute peanut powder with roasted chickpea flour (or besan)..You can also replace with almond flour/meal.
Hope this helps, I hope you try this recipe and let me know how it turned out.
Elaine
Thank you!