Perfectly crispy, super light, and healthy, this air fryer kurkuri bhindi is an absolute game changer. Made with pantry staples and hardly any oil, this is a hassle-free recipe you didn’t know you needed! Serve it as an appetiser, snack or even for lunch with some dal and roti and you’ve got yourself a star dish right there!
Love Bhindi? Try my Easy Bhindi Masala (Spicy Okra Stir Fry), How to Cook Okra (bhindi) so it's not Slimy or the oven version - Baked Kurkuri Bhindi!
Bhindi lovers know that there is no better way to eat this veggie than the North Indian style kurkuri bhindi. For me, it is one of those things that I absolutely love and can never get bored of! Perfectly crispy in every bite, with a thin layer of coating and lots of masala, this is the kind of recipe that can turn even non bhindi lovers into complete fans!
Traditionally, kurkuri bhindi is made by coating the okra in a mixture of besan and cornflour and then deep fried until crispy. But that’s a calorie-rich and time consuming process, which I am not a fan of. That’s when I decided to switch to this baked kurkuri bhindi recipe that’s made in an oven and tastes just as good! But since getting an air fryer, I am always trying out different air fryer recipes and hence, this air fryer crispy okra. Just like its baked and fried counterparts, this air fryer kurkuri bhindi turns out just as crispy and delicious, in addition to being super quick and healthy!
- A light, crispy and delicious dish made out of the humble bhindi
- Super healthy and nutritious as compared to the deep fried versions
- A 100% vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free recipe
- Thanks to the quick cook time of the air fryer, the entire dish comes together in under 20 minutes from start to finish
- Uses simple everyday ingredients easily available in every Indian kitchen
- Packed with a tonne of vitamins, nutrients and minerals, making it a perfect addition to your diet
Ingredients You'll Need for Air Fryer Kurkuri Bhindi
- Bhindi: When buying bhindi for this recipe, try to look for finger-length tender okras as they work really well for this recipe.
- Gram flour and cornflour: Used to make the coating. Gram flour lends a nutty flavour to the dish, while cornflour is responsible for the light and crispy texture.
- Spices: I have used cumin powder, chilli powder and ginger garlic paste for this recipe.
- Oil: Any neutral-flavoured oil such as peanut, canola or sunflower oil works here.
- Lemon juice: Adds a nice zing to the whole dish.
- Chaat masala: Sprinkled at the end for an added boost of flavour.
How to Make Air Fryer Kurkuri Bhindi
Here's a step-by-step process showing you how to make Air Fryer Kurkuri Bhindi:
1. Wash all the bhindi and pat dry on a kitchen towel. Snip off both ends and slice each bhindi into 4 lengths to get thin shards. Preheat Air Fryer to 200 C. In a bowl, mix besan, cornflour, cumin powder, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, oil and lemon juice to make a smooth paste.
2. Add the bhindi to the bowl.
3. Mix and toss with your hands till the paste coats the bhindi.
4. Grease the air fryer basket with some oil.
5. Spread all the bhindi out on the air fryer basket. Spread it out as much as possible, do not crowd the basket and try not to layer the bhindi. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to do this in batches. Brush or spray with some of the oil, and bake in the air fryer at 170C for 10 minutes, tossing once in between.
6. Brush with more oil, toss and bake again for 3-5 minutes at 190C till they are crisp and golden brown. Keep a close eye on the bhindi at this point, and be open to checking in between. Depending on the capacity of your air fryer, the time it takes to cook may vary. Do not let it overcook or burn. Take the air fryer basket out and let it rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chaat masala. Serve as a side dish or as an appetiser.
Richa’s top tips to make the best Air Fryer Kurkuri Bhindi
- After washing the bhindi, always pat it dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to soak away any excess moisture. You can also allow it to air dry for about 10 minutes to make sure the bhindi is nice and dry.
- Cut the bhindi in thin, long slivers. The thinner the bhindi, the crispier it will turn out.
- Wipe your knife with a kitchen towel if it gets sticky while cutting the bhindi.
- When adding the okra to the air fryer, make sure to add the okra in a single line with enough space in between. Overcrowding the tray will lead to soggy results.
- Turn the okra around halfway through the cooking process to make sure everything gets nicely cooked on all sides.
If you've always been scared of bhindi/okra and its sliminess, check out this tutorial about how to cook okra so that it's not slimy.
If you’ve never tried kurkuri bhindi, this is your sign to make one ASAP. What I absolutely love about this recipe is how versatile it is! I have made it as an appetiser for parties, as a 5 pm snack, as well as for lunch and dinner, and the entire thing gets wiped clean every single time.
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Air Fryer Kurkuri Bhindi
Ingredients
- 300 grams Bhindi cut into 4, split lengthwise
- 2 Tablespoons Besan
- 1 ½ Tablespoons Corn Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Roasted Cumin Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic paste
- 2 Tablespoons Oil
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Chaat Masala
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Wash all the bhindi and pat dry on a kitchen towel. Snip off both ends and slice each bhindi into 4 lengths to get thin shards.
- Preheat Air Fryer to 200 C.
- In a bowl, mix besan, cornflour, cumin powder, chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, oil and lemon juice to make a smooth paste. Add the bhindi to this and toss with your hands till the paste coats the bhindi.
- Brush or spray some oil on the air fryer basket. Spread all the bhindi out on the air fryer basket. Spread it out as much as possible, do not crowd the basket and try not to layer the bhindi. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may have to do this in batches.
- Brush or spray with some of the oil, and bake in the air fryer at 170C for 13 minutes, tossing once in between.
- Brush with more oil, toss and bake again for 3 minutes at 190C till they are crisp and golden brown. Keep a close eye on the bhindi at this point, and be open to checking in between. Depending on the capacity of your air fryer, the time it takes to cook may vary. Do not let it overcook or burn.
- Take the air fryer basket out and let it rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chaat masala. Serve as a side dish or as an appetiser.
Notes
- After washing the bhindi, always pat it dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towel to soak away any excess moisture. You can also allow it to air dry for about 10 minutes to make sure the bhindi is nice and dry.
- Cut the bhindi in thin, long slivers. The thinner the bhindi, the crispier it will turn out.
- Wipe your knife with a kitchen towel if it gets sticky while cutting the bhindi.
- When adding the okra to the air fryer, make sure to add the okra in a single line with enough space in between. Overcrowding the tray will lead to soggy results.
- Turn the okra around halfway through the cooking process to make sure everything gets nicely cooked on all sides.
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