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    Home » Dry Curries » Stuffed and Baked Okra | Bharwa Bhindi

    Stuffed and Baked Okra | Bharwa Bhindi

    Posted on June 5, 2020 · Last Updated on June 8, 2020 · By Srividhya G · 35 Comments

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    bharwa bhindi for pinterest with text overlay

    Here is an easy and simple recipe for stuffed and baked okra, aka bharwa bhindi, with detailed step-wise pictures. This easy-to-make low-calorie, vegan and gluten-free okra is a fantastic appetizer and also pairs well with rice and roti.

    overhead shot of stuffed and baked okra placed on black plate with assorted spices on the side

    Do you love savory baking like me, especially vegetables? Then this is a perfect recipe for you. I am so happy to share my low-calorie stuffed okra recipe. No flours and thanks to my oven, I used 1 tsp of oil to make this curry.

    I love roasting and baking veggies in the oven. You don’t need to supervise, and also the oil consumption is comparatively less. Making this in stove-top might take 15 to 20 minutes, but you need to flip frequently and check. But with oven, you don’t need to worry about the constant flipping.

    Like stuffed brinjal, I want to try stuffed okra but decided to bake instead of cooking it on the stove-top. I just went with my set spice mix, and when I mentioned it to my friend, she said its bharwa bhindi. Bharwa means stuffed, and bhindi means okra in Hindi. I don’t know if mine is the traditional or the authentic one, but I can assure you that it’s simple and delicious.

    Spices used for the stuffing-

    I did not use any flour or dry coconut/kobbari. All you need is some ground coriander, cumin, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Garam masala is optional even.
    You can use your favorite spices for the stuffing. You can add more garam masala and reduce the other spices. Try even add South Indian spice mixes like sambar powder, rasam powder, or vaangi bath powder.

    overhead shot of baked bhindi placed on white plate on top of black plate with assorted spices on the side and with dried red chilies Play with the spices and have fun preparing the filling.

    VVK Tip – Always prepare a little extra stuffing. Use a generous amount of stuffing for the okra. If you are making this on the stove-top, you can drizzle them on top of the okra. Store the excess stuffing in an air-tight container and use it for other dry curries. Check the recipe notes section for more tips.

    How to serve this baked okra-

    The baked okra pairs well with roti, rice – dal or rice – kadhi combination. I love to serve this with rice and avial and rice and rasam also. Ok, it pairs well with rice and roti. Period. :-)

    Guess what, you can serve it as an appetizer also. My husband and my son love to relish it as is. :-)

    close up shot of bharwa bhindi served on a white plate

    How to make bharwa bhindi-

    Clean and prep the okra-

    • Wash the okra and wipe them dry. You can use a kitchen towel or paper towel and wipe it all dry.
    • Now cut both the edges, i.e., the top cap and the thin bottom part.
    • Slit them lengthwise, ie, make a vertical slit.

    vertically slit okra which is still intact

    • And make sure the okra is still intact. We don’t need to cut the okra into two.

    showing the cut okra which is still intact

    Mix the stuffing-

    • In a plate, all the dry masalas – coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masala, and turmeric powder. 
    • Mix them thoroughly.

    adding all the spices in a plate

    • Now add the salt.

    adding the salt to the spice mix

    • And remix. The stuffing is ready.

    bharwa bhindi stuffing in a black plate

    Preheat the oven-

    • Line a baking tray with a parchment paper or aluminum foil and spread some oil.
    • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

    Fill the okra with the stuffing-

    • Take one okra at a time, and open the slit and fill about ½ to 1 tsp of the stuffing. You can add up to 1.5 tsp also. Then place it in the baking tray lined with the foil.

    stuffing the bindi with the masala

    • Similarly, stuff the masala inside all the slit okras.

    stuffed okra in the aluminum tray

    Bake the okra-

    • Bake the stuffed okra for 15 minutes at 375 deg F. Here is the okra after 15 minutes.

    baked okra after 15 minutes

    • Now carefully flip them and drizzle 1 tsp of oil on top.

    flipped okra with oil drizzled

    • Bake again for 15 minutes at 375 deg F. The total baking time is 30 minutes.

    fully baked okra

    • That’s it stuffed, and baked okra is ready. Serve hot with roti or with rice and rasam or dal.

    picture of baked okra in the baking tray lined with aluminium foil

    Tips & Recipe Notes-

    • Tender okra (small or lengthy) works well for this recipe. Make sure your okra is completely dry.
    • I usually bake it on my center rack. Every oven is different. So keep an eye after 25 minutes. You can bake up to 35 to 40 minutes for crispy okra. But 30 minutes of baking time is more than sufficient.
    • There is no set measure for the stuffing. You can adjust according to your preference. Also, you can add some chaat masala if you are serving this as an appetizer. Try stuffing it with sambar or rasam powder too.
    • As always, adjust the salt and red chili powder according to your preference.
    • I did not include any flour and oil in the stuffing. You can add a 1tbsp of chickpeas flour or 1 tbsp of dried grated coconut or both. In that case, add a little extra chili powder. I love my stuffing dry, and don’t worry, the filling stays intact. Thanks to the slimy nature of the okra.
    • Store the excess stuffing masala in an air-tight container and use it for other dry curries.

    PS: Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more gardening and recipe updates. If you try this bharwa bhindi recipe, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it asap.  Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas!

    📖 Recipe

    stuffed okra place on a white plate with dried red chilies on the side
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    5 from 2 votes

    Stuffed and Baked Okra | Bharwa Bhindi

    An easy and simple recipe for stuffed and baked okra or the bharwa bhindi with detailed step-wise pictures. A perfect appetizer and a fantastic side for rice and roti.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time45 minutes mins
    Course: Appetizer, Entree
    Cuisine: North Indian
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 31kcal
    Author: Srividhya G

    Ingredients

    Measurement Details: 1 cup=240ml;1tbsp=15ml;1tsp=5ml;

    • 250 grams Okra approx 38 small okra
    • 1 tsp oil plus a little for greasing

    Spices for the stuffing-

    • 2 tbsp coriander powder
    • 1 tsp cumin powder
    • 1 tsp red chili powder
    • ½ tsp turmeric powder
    • ½ tsp garam masala
    • 1.5 tsp salt or to taste

    Instructions

    Clean and prep the okra-

    • Wash the okra and wipe them dry. You can use a kitchen towel or paper towel and wipe it all dry.
    • Now cut both the edges, i.e., the top cap and the thin bottom part. Slit them lengthwise ie, make a vertical slit and make sure the okra is still intact. We don't need to cut the okra into two.

    Prepare the stuffing-

    • In a plate, all the dry masalas - coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, garam masala, and turmeric powder. Mix them thoroughly. Now add the salt and remix. The stuffing is ready.

    Preheat the oven-

    • Line a baking tray with a parchment paper or aluminum foil and spread some oil. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
    • Take one okra at a time, and open the slit and fill about ½ to 1 tsp of the stuffing. You can add up to 1.5 tsp also. Then place it in the baking tray lined with the foil. Similarly, stuff the masala inside all the slit okras.

    Bake the okra-

    • Bake the stuffed okra for 15 minutes at 375 deg F. Here is the okra after 15 minutes.
    • Now carefully flip them and drizzle 1 tsp of oil on top.
    • Bake again for 15 minutes at 375 deg F. The total baking time is 30 minutes.
    • That's it stuffed, and baked okra is ready. Serve hot with roti or with rice and rasam or dal.

    Notes

    • Tender okra (small or lengthy) works well for this recipe. Make sure your okra is completely dry.
    • I usually bake it on my center rack. Every oven is different. So keep an eye after 25 minutes. You can bake up to 35 to 40 minutes for crispy okra. But 30 minutes of baking time is more than sufficient.
    • There is no set measure for the stuffing. You can adjust according to your preference. Also, you can add some chaat masala if you are serving this as an appetizer. Try stuffing it with sambar or rasam powder too.
    • As always, adjust the salt and red chili powder according to your preference.
    • I did not include any flour and oil in the stuffing. You can add a 1tbsp of chickpeas flour or 1 tbsp of dried grated coconut or both. In that case, add a little extra chili powder. I love my stuffing dry, and don't worry, the filling stays intact. Thanks to the slimy nature of the okra.
    • Store the excess stuffing masala in an air-tight container and use it for other dry curries.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 31kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 712mg | Potassium: 199mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 560IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 1mg

    I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @vidhyasvegetariankitchen or tag #vidhyasvegkitchen
    For Video RecipesCheck out My YouTube Channel

    Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2014 but now updated with new pics and recipe cards.

    405 shares
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    Filed Under: Dry Curries, Savory Baking Tagged With: baked lades finger, Blogging Marathon, Dry curry, fire up your oven, okra, stuffed bhindi, sukha bhindi

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Udhayanila groups says

      June 05, 2020 at 11:35 pm

      Superb

      Reply
      • Srividhya G says

        June 06, 2020 at 7:22 pm

        Thanks.

        Reply
    2. themadscientistskitchen says

      May 05, 2015 at 7:07 am

      Deliciously baked. I love ladyfinger so this is bound to be made.

      Reply
    3. sandhyaramakrishnan says

      April 22, 2015 at 8:28 am

      I love okra and this recipe looks awesome!

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 22, 2015 at 2:47 pm

        Thanks Sandhya

        Reply
    4. Pavani says

      April 20, 2015 at 5:40 pm

      What an addictive snack you got there — stuffed okra looks soooo delicious.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 20, 2015 at 8:50 pm

        Thanks a lot pavani

        Reply
    5. Gayathri Kumar says

      April 17, 2015 at 1:37 am

      I love okra in any shape. This recipe sounds so yumm…

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 17, 2015 at 8:18 am

        :-) :-)

        Reply
    6. sizzlingtastebuds says

      April 16, 2015 at 10:17 am

      Baked okra seems to be a popular recipe this BM. Am trying out this stuffed version very soon on my oven

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 16, 2015 at 10:44 am

        yeah. saw couple of them posting too.

        Reply
    7. Linsy says

      April 15, 2015 at 7:01 am

      yummy dish, first time here, love to see you at my blog when you have time

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 15, 2015 at 7:31 am

        Linsy, welcome here. Sure will hop on to yours :-)

        Reply
    8. Srivalli says

      April 15, 2015 at 1:45 am

      You have made perfect use of all the vegetables by baking..very good option!

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 15, 2015 at 7:32 am

        he he.. Thanks Valli

        Reply
    9. Nalini says

      April 13, 2015 at 6:52 pm

      Nice and crispy stuffed okras,perfect with rice varieties..

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 14, 2015 at 1:07 pm

        yeah true. Thanks

        Reply
    10. Varada says

      April 13, 2015 at 6:06 pm

      Not a fan of okra but that is a treat for someone who loves okra. Such a simple recipe and quick side.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 14, 2015 at 1:07 pm

        Yeah. This requires very less oil too.

        Reply
    11. Traditionally Modern Food says

      April 13, 2015 at 1:15 pm

      I too love baked ladies finger. Use microwave oven if vishva not allowing me to use oven. I use sambar powder instead of red chilli

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 13, 2015 at 2:32 pm

        yeah sambhar powder is also good :-)

        Reply
    12. Malar says

      April 13, 2015 at 12:46 pm

      Super duper…looks fab!!!

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 13, 2015 at 2:31 pm

        :-) Thanks pa

        Reply
    13. priya says

      April 13, 2015 at 11:03 am

      Wow one more beautiful baked dish, have to this ladies finger this way..Well done..

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 13, 2015 at 2:31 pm

        thanks Priya

        Reply
    14. PJ says

      April 13, 2015 at 10:42 am

      Nice idea!! Would love to have it with Roti…

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 13, 2015 at 2:31 pm

        Yeah it goes well with rotis n rice

        Reply
    15. pumpkinfarmfood says

      April 13, 2015 at 10:32 am

      such thoughts never occur to me…beautiful

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 13, 2015 at 2:30 pm

        Thanks

        Reply
    16. usha says

      April 13, 2015 at 8:37 am

      I love this stuffed orka with simple spices though never tried it in the oven. Looks good.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 13, 2015 at 2:30 pm

        Thanks Usha

        Reply
    17. Suma Gandlur says

      April 13, 2015 at 7:32 am

      That stuffing must have made the curry more tasty.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 13, 2015 at 2:30 pm

        yeah true.thanks

        Reply
    18. Vaishali Sabnani says

      April 13, 2015 at 3:10 am

      That’s a wonderful recipe, a must try. Lady fingers normally take up lot of oil, but it’s a great idea to bake these.

      Reply
      • srividhya says

        April 13, 2015 at 2:29 pm

        yeah I agree. Thanks

        Reply
    5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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