Bhindi rice with step by step photos. This is a simple comforting spiced okra and rice dish, where sauteed okra (bhindi) is mixed with cooked rice. This is an easy and tasty rice recipe with okra that can be made for lunch as well as for a tiffin box. Gluten-free, vegan and a kid-friendly recipe as it is not spicy.
If you have leftover cooked rice, then half of the work is done and the recipe can be prepared quickly. Since I make okra often, I will be sharing one more quick bhindi recipe soon.
In the recipe post, I have mentioned all the steps, including the cooking of rice. Use any variety of short-grained or long-grained rice.
I have used ambe mohar rice, which is a aromatic rice locally grown in Maharashtra. I sometimes make this recipe with basmati rice or sona masuri rice.
I have cooked rice in a pan, but you can cook the rice grains in a pressure cooker too.
Bhindi rice can be served plain or with side raita or plain curd or a veggie salad. It can also be served with rasam or curd kadhi or any spicy curry.
How to make Bhindi Rice
1. Rinse 1 cup of rice first very well in water. Then soak for 20 to 30 minutes. After 20 to 30 minutes drain all the water from the rice. Keep the rice aside.
You can use any non-sticky variety of small-grained or medium-grained or long-grained rice. Basmati rice or sona masuri rice also works well in this recipe.
2. Rinse 250 grams of okra in water. Wipe them dry and then chop them in 1 to 1.5 cm roundels. Keep aside.
Note: Use the okra that is fresh and tender. Avoid using stringy or fibrous okra for the best taste and flavor.
3. On full heat, heat 3.5 to 4 cups of water in a pan. Then add the following ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon shahi jeera (caraway seeds) or jeera (cumin)
- 1 small tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
- ¼ teaspoon salt or add as per taste.
4. Bring the water to a boil.
5. Then add the rice and lightly stir. Do not reduce the heat.
6. Cook the rice till it is completely done. Do not cover the pan with a lid while cooking rice.
7. The rice has to be completely cooked.
8. Strain in a colander. Keep the cooked rice aside.
9. In a mortar-pestle take the following spices and herbs:
- 3 medium-sized garlic (roughly chopped)
- ½ inch ginger (roughly chopped)
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 green cardamom
- 2 cloves
- ½ inch cinnamon
10. Crush to a semi-fine paste.
Making okra rice
11. In a kadai or pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil. You can use any neutral flavored oil.
Keep the heat low to medium. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
12. Then add ⅓ cup chopped onions.
13. Stir well and saute the onions till they turn translucent. Do not brown onions. Keep stirring at regular intervals and saute the onions till translucent on low to medium heat.
14. Now add the crushed semi-fine paste that we prepared earlier.
15. Next add 1 sprig of curry leaves (10 to 12 curry leaves) and 1 green chili, chopped (about half teaspoon of chopped green chilies).
16. Stir and saute for a couple of seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
if you want, you can also add 1 medium chopped tomato at this step and saute till it becomes pulpy.
17. Now add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ¼ teaspoon red chili powder. Quickly stir.
This recipe is not spicy. If you want to make it spicy then add more red chilli powder and green chillies according to your taste preferences.
18. Immediately add the chopped okra.
19. Stir and lightly mix with the rest of the ingredients.
20. Add salt as per taste. Also do keep in mind that we have added a bit of salt while cooking rice too.
21. Stir and mix everything very well.
22. Without covering with a lid, on a low flame to medium heat, saute the okra. Stir at intervals. Also do not add any water. Regulate flame as required.
Stir often and saute till the okra has softened and cooked well.
23. Now add the rice in parts to the okra. Even if the rice is sticky like the one I had, then also no issues. Just break the lumps as you go along mixing the okra.
The cooked rice has to be warm or at room temperature when you add it to the okra.
24. Mix the rice with the okra very well. Switch off the heat. If after mixing rice with okra, you feel salt is less, then sprinkle some more salt and mix again.
25. Serve okra rice hot or warm accompanied with a veggie salad, raita or curd. You can garnish the okra rice with some chopped coriander leaves if you wish.
In the below photo I have served it with plain yogurt. You can serve it with raita varieties like boondi raita or cucumber raita or onion tomato raita. You can also pack it for the lunch box.
Few more rice recipes for you!
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Bhindi Rice (Okra Rice)
Ingredients
for cooking rice
- 1 cup rice regular or basmati rice
- 3.5 to 4 cups water, add water depending on the type and quality of rice
- ½ teaspoon shahjeera (caraway seeds) or jeera (cumin seeds)
- 1 small tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- ¼ teaspoon salt or add as per taste
to be crushed to a paste
- 3 medium sized garlic cloves – roughly chopped
- ½ inch ginger – roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 green cardamom
- 2 cloves
- ½ inch cinnamon
other ingredients
- 2 tablespoon oil – any neutral flavor oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 green chili – chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (or cayenne pepper or paprika)
- 250 grams okra (bhindi or ladies finger) – chopped in 1 to 1.5 cm roundels
- salt as required
- few chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves – optional
Instructions
cooking rice
- Rinse 1 cup oof rice first very well in water. Then soak for 20 to 30 minutes. After 20 to 30 minutes drain all the water from the rice. Keep the rice aside.
- On a full heat, heat 3.5 to 4 cups water in a pan. Then add ½ tsp shahjeera (caraway seeds) or jeera (cumin seeds), 1 small tej patta, ¼ tsp salt or add as per taste.
- Bring the water to a boil. Then add the rice and lightly stir. Do not reduce the flame.
- Cook the rice till its completely done. Strain in a colander. Keep the cooked rice aside.
prepping okra
- Rinse 250 grams bhindi in water. Wipe them dry and then chop them in 1 to 1.5 cm roundels. Keep aside.
crushing spices-herbs to a paste
- In a mortar-pestle take the following spices & herbs – 3 medium-sized garlic (roughly chopped), 1/2 inch ginger (roughly chopped), 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1 green cardamom, 2 cloves, 1/2 inch cinnamon.
- Crush to a semi fine paste.
Making okra rice
- In a kadai or pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle on low to medium heat.
- Then add chopped onions.
- Stir well and saute the onions on low to medium heat till they turn translucent stirring often. Do not brown onions. Just saute till translucent.
- Now add the crushed semi-fine paste.
- Next add curry leaves and chopped green chili.
- Stir and saute for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away. If you want, you can also add 1 medium chopped tomato at this step and saute till it becomes pulpy.
- Now add turmeric powder and red chili powder. Quickly stir.
- Immediately add the chopped okra. Lightly mix with the rest of the ingredients.
- Add salt as per taste. Also do keep in mind that we have added a bit of salt while cooking rice too.
- Mix everything very well.
- Without covering with a lid, on a low flame to medium heat, saute the okra. Stir at intervals. Also do not add any water. Regulate flame as required.
- Saute till the okra is cooked well and softened.
- Now add the rice in parts to the okra. Even if the rice is slightly sticky like the one I had, then also no issues. Just break the lumps as you go along mixing the okra. The cooked rice has to be warm or at room temperature when you add it to the okra.
- Mix the rice with the okra very well. Switch off the heat. If after mixing rice with okra, you feel salt is less, then sprinkle some more salt and mix again.
- Serve okra rice hot or warm accompanied with a veggie salad, raita or curd. You can garnish this ladies finger rice with some chopped coriander leaves if you want.
Notes
- This recipe can be doubled or tripled.
- Don’t use the okra that has become stringy or dense. Okra is the star ingredient in this recipe. For best taste use the okra that is fresh and tender.
- Use any variety of rice like basmati rice or sona masuri rice or parmel rice or surti kolam rice.
- This recipe is not spicy and kid-friendly. But if you want then you can make it spicy by increasing the quantity of red chilli powder and green chillies.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Bhindi Rice post from the blog archives first published in May 2016 has been republished and updated on 1 July 2022.
I tried this recipe and would like to thank you for sharing such an easy and yet tasty recipe.
Welcome Sharmishtha
Hi there 🙂 this is such a good recipe, I make it all the time. Could you recommend a nice spicy sabji to go with this? I usually make mutter paneer with this. Thanks!
thanks nishta. there are only a few spicy recipes on website that i have shared. with this bhindi rice recipe, a spicy paneer ghee roast, veg kolhapuri, and veg chilli milli will go well. in fact even a spicy tomato rasam or curd kadhi will taste good. all the recipes i have already shared on website.
u r amazing Amit.(y) so easy and simple recipes which makes cooking so so easy.thankyou again.
welcome kavita 🙂 thanks for positive feedback.
This is so easy! I am willing to try it out. I have lady fingers that I had bought from The Organic Garden and I ma sure they would taste amazing due to the fact that they are organic.
yes megha organic veggies taste better, surely try and let us know how it was? thankyou.
I tried and it turned out to be amazing!
thanks megha for sharing positive feedback.
Thank you for being my good food guide!!! So simple and so tasty !!!
simply suparv
very clean n clear reciepe I ll prepare very soon thank u
sure and thankyou 🙂