Summer curry · Pakistani home style

Bhindi Gosht Recipe (Okra and Meat Curry)

Dry okra. Fry first. Add at the end.

Farwa ZeeshanRecipe by Farwa ZeeshanTested in the NineFoods home kitchen

Bhindi gosht combines tender meat with okra in a thick masala. The big problem is slimy okra. The fix is washing and fully drying the okra before cutting, frying it until the strings disappear, and adding it to the meat only at the end.

Prep20m
Cook1h 25m
Servings5
kcal / serving410
LevelMedium
Jump to the method

The 3 laws of bhindi gosht

Why this recipe works

Dry okra

Wet okra

Water makes okra slimy.

Fry separately

Raw okra

Frying seals the okra.

Add last

Early okra

Okra needs 10 minutes in the gravy.

Shopping and prep list

Ingredients

Servings
Tap items as you gather them · 0 of 0 ready

Meat and masala

Okra

The NineFoods meat gauge

Is the meat tender?

Press a piece of meat before adding the fried okra.

Tap a stage to see what to do.

Method · 4 stages

Step by step

1

Brown onions

Medium · 10 min
  1. Fry onions in oil until golden.
  2. Add ginger garlic paste and fry 30 seconds.
Look for: golden onions.
10:00
2

Bhuno meat

Medium-high · 12 min
  1. Add meat and fry until browned.
  2. Add tomatoes and spices and bhuno until oil separates.
Look for: oil separating, masala dark red.
12:00
3

Tenderise

Low, covered · 50 min
  1. Add hot water, cover and cook.
  2. Check with the gauge above.
Look for: meat soft.
50:00
4

Add the vegetable

Medium · 10 min
  1. Fry okra separately until bright and no strings, then fold into the meat.
  2. Add lemon juice and cook uncovered without stirring hard.
Look for: whole, bright okra in thick masala.
10:00

Chef's troubleshooter

What went wrong? Pick the symptom

Why

Okra was wet or not fried.

Fix next time

Dry okra fully before cutting and fry until strings stop.

Why

Stirred too much.

Fix next time

Fold gently and shake the pan instead.

Why

Rushed.

Fix next time

Cook meat longer before adding okra.

Why

Over-reduced.

Fix next time

Add 0.25 cup hot water.

Swap smart

Ingredient roles and substitutes

IngredientJob in the dishSwap with
Fresh okraMain vegetableFrozen whole okra, fry from frozen
Lemon juiceCuts slimeDried mango powder (amchur)
MuttonMain proteinBeef or chicken
TomatoesTangYogurt

After the meal

Serve, store, reheat

Serve with

Roti or paratha.

Store

Fridge 2 days; okra softens with time. Do not freeze.

Reheat

Warm in an open pan on medium so the okra does not steam.

How we tested this recipe

Tested in a home kitchen, not a studio

Farwa Zeeshan

Recipe developed and tested by Farwa Zeeshan, who cooks and tests every NineFoods recipe on a regular home stove.

  • Cooked from start to finish with the exact quantities above for 5 servings, using both the metric and US cup measures.
  • Every one of the 4 stages was timed at the stove; heat levels and the 'look for' cues are what we saw in the pan.
  • The doneness check (is the meat tender) and the troubleshooter come from batches that went wrong, and how we fixed them.
  • Reheating and storage advice was checked on leftovers, not guessed.

Read our full testing process

Keep cooking

Related recipes and guides

All Pakistani recipes10 Essential Pakistani Spices and How to Use ThemHow to Make Garam Masala at HomeHow to Make Ginger Garlic Paste

Quick answers

Bhindi Gosht FAQ

How do I stop okra being slimy?

Wash and dry it completely, then fry it before adding to the curry.

Can I use frozen okra?

Yes, fry it straight from frozen.

Should I add water after okra?

No. Cook it in the thick masala.

Can I use chicken?

Yes, cook the chicken 25 minutes before adding okra.