Kurkuri Bhindi - Crispy Vegan Okra Fries
These okra fries are cut into tiny slivers, mixed with a sparse batter and then deep fried to create a dangerously crispy, addictive, salty, spicy and sour snack.
Ingredients
- 200 grams okra (ladies' fingers/bhindi)
- 4 tablespoons chickpea flour (gram flour/besan/garbanzo bean flour)
- 2 tablespoons rice flour
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon ajwain
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 litre neutral oil for deep frying*
Instructions
Prepare the Okra
- Wash 200 grams okra (ladies' fingers/bhindi), then pat dry. Once the okra is dry, cut off the ends. Slice the okra in half. Depending on the size of your okra, cut the pieces in half again (or for ultra-crisp fries, cut each half into thirds).
Make the Batter
- Add your sliced okra to a large bowl. Also add 4 tablespoons chickpea flour (gram flour/besan/garbanzo bean flour), 2 tablespoons rice flour, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon chaat masala, ½ teaspoon garam masala, ¼ - ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ajwain, ½ teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste to the bowl.
- Mix and massage the mixture with your hands.
- Next, add 2 tablespoons water to the bowl. Mix again until the batter sticks to the okra. It's okay if it doesn't stick all over; this is fine and what makes the okra fries crispy!
Cook the Okra Fries
- Preheat oil in a deep-fat fryer, deep saucepan, or kadai*.
- Once the oil is hot (around 175℃, or 350℉), carefully drop the okra fries into the oil. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan; fry in batches if necessary.
- Fry for around 1-2 minutes, until crisp, then drain on a wire rack to remove excess oil (kitchen paper and cause sogginess). Repeat for the remaining batches.
Notes
* If you don't want to deep fry the crispy okra fries, there are alternatives:
- To make oven-roasted okra fries, preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) and line a baking tray with parchment/non-stick paper. Arrange the crispy okra fries in a layer and spray with neutral oil. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden and crispy. Turn the oven okra fries halfway through cooking.
- To make Indian okra fries in the air fryer, heat to 180°C (356°F) and spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Arrange the kurkuri bhindi on the basket (don't overcrowd; cook in batches if necessary) and cook for 5 minutes. Turn, then cook for another 5 minutes.
Equipment
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 136kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 6gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0.2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 332mgPotassium: 464mgFiber: 6gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1030IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 98mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Please consider leaving a review!
