• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Simply delicious oil-free vegan recipes

  • Recipe Index
    • Recipes by Category
    • Recipes by Tag
    • Recipe Box
  • About Me
    • Press
  • NewsBites
  • Shop!
  • Website

Roasted Okra Masala

July 31, 2013 By Susan Voisin 31 Comments
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Privacy Policy.

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Share on Facebook

Tender, young okra are roasted and then combined with a spicy Indian masala for an excellent vegan side dish.

Roasted Okra Masala
Next to vine-ripened tomatoes, the vegetable I look most forward to in the summer is okra, small, tender okra pods that are impossible to get during the winter. Frozen okra is fine for gumbos and stews, but only fresh okra will do for my favorite way to prepare it, roasted. It’s as simple as putting it in a hot oven and letting it cook, but the flavor and texture belies the easiness of the preparation. Even people who don’t usually like okra will eat it like French fries when it’s roasted and seasoned.

Roasted Okra Masala

So the other day, I was fixing Dal Tadka for dinner and needed a side dish. I’d just bought some okra that I’d planned on roasting, and I briefly considered using it to make my old Bhindi Masala recipe.

But these okra were young and tender, perfect for roasting, and I couldn’t bring myself to cut them up. So I sort of combined the recipes. I roasted the okra while I prepared the masala, or onion-spice mixture, and then added the okra once it was done. The results were sublime: the smokiness of roasted okra with the flavor of onion, ginger, cumin, and pepper.

More Okra Recipes

  • The original Roasted Okra recipe–don’t miss it!
  • Okra and Lima Bean Masala
  • Stewed Okra and Tomatoes
  • Pickled Okra from Hell Yeah It’s Vegan
  • Cajun Spiced Okra at My Vegan Cookbook
  • 30 Minute Curried Okra, Tomatoes and Chickpeas by Melomeals
Roasted Okra Masala
5 from 4 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Add to Recipe BoxGo to Recipe Box

Roasted Okra Masala

Fresh, young okra is roasted to perfecting and seasoned with Indian masala. Fun fact: Baking soda will speed up the cooking of the onion, but it reacts with turmeric, causing the turmeric to turn red instead of yellow.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 1 pound small tender okra
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 pinch baking soda optional
  • 1 teaspoon ginger root minced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Maldon or kosher salt optional
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450. Trim the stems of the okra if they’re longer than a quarter inch. Place okra on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring halfway through. Okra should be beginning to brown in places but not burned.
  • When the okra is almost finished cooking, heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and a pinch of baking soda, if you want to speed up the cooking. Cook until onion begins to soften and then add the ginger root, garlic, and cumin and cook for another minute. Add turmeric and garam masala and cook for another minute, adding a tablespoon of water if the spices start to stick. Add the roasted okra and salt, if you use it, stir well, and cook for another minute or two.
Nutrition Facts
Roasted Okra Masala
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 53
% Daily Value*
Sodium 520.6mg23%
Carbohydrates 11.9g4%
Fiber 4.4g18%
Sugar 2.7g3%
Protein 2.8g6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine Indian, Vegan
Keyword Indian okra, roasted okra
Have you made this recipe?Mention @SusanFFVK and tag #fatfreevegankitchen in your photos on Instagram.
Share on Facebook Pin This Recipe Share by Email

Please pin and share!

Roasted Okra Masala: Tender, young okra are roasted and then combined with a spicy Indian masala for an excellent vegan side dish. #vegan #oilfree #wfpb

Filed Under: Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan Weight Watchers Recipes with Zero Points, Vegetables Tagged With: Eat-to-Live, Gluten-free, Indian, Soy-free, Under 200

Get NewsBites!

Sign up for our newsletter to receive new recipes & tips by email!

Privacy Policy
Previous Post: « Fat-Free Dal Tadka
Next Post: Peach Oatmeal Bars »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Emma

    July 31, 2013 at 9:00 am

    Love okra but don’t cook it nearly enough. Thanks for the tip about the onion- that one’s new to me!

    Reply
  2. Art Scott

    July 31, 2013 at 9:27 am

    This looks scrumptious! I can’t wait to try it. Thank you! ~Scott

    Reply
  3. John Ullman

    July 31, 2013 at 9:53 am

    My favorite recipe is Okra Etouffee, page 99, in the cookbook I produced for my boss, “Cookin’ with Queen Ida”. (http://www.amazon.com/Cookin-Queen-Ida-Revised-Edition/dp/0761500065) It tastes best when you play the eponymous CD while you cook.

    Reply
  4. Lisa

    July 31, 2013 at 10:29 am

    Hi Susan, I made your kale salad recipe and loved it and now subscribe to your blog. My question about the okra is: When roasted like this does it reduce the slime factor? I only put this stuff in gumbo because I really dislike the texture, even fried it is sometimes slimey. Thanks so much. Lisa

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      July 31, 2013 at 12:50 pm

      The great thing about roasting is that it completely gets rid of the slime. I hope you’ll give it a try!

      Reply
  5. Marta @ What Should I eat for breakfast today

    July 31, 2013 at 10:29 am

    Okra is new for me. I mean I’ve never had it or at least I don’t remember. Thank you for sharing. I like to try new things.

    Reply
  6. Tami@Nutmeg Notebook

    July 31, 2013 at 10:32 am

    I have to admit that I have never cooked okra. Yours looks delicious and I just might have to give it a try.

    Reply
  7. moonwatcher

    July 31, 2013 at 10:53 am

    HI Susan,

    This looks wonderful! If I ever get lucky enough to find fresh okra up here in northern Idaho, I’m trying it!!

    Absolutely beautiful photos too. Such texture and color!

    xoxo

    moonwatcher

    Reply
  8. Anne

    July 31, 2013 at 10:59 am

    Looks great and I am excited about a new way to try okra! Wondering if it’s my mobile version, but don’t see the link to garam masala. Thanks!

    Reply
  9. Marcia

    July 31, 2013 at 12:21 pm

    Good morning Susan,

    My Mother used to cook okra (being the Southern Belle she was) for us but it was always slimy and I hated it. I have not had it since because I cannot get that taste and texture out of my mind.

    I have copied your recipe and put it in my file and at some point I will try it, but I’m in no hurry! The picture is pretty and I’m sure the dish would be much better than Mom’s way so there is hope! Thanks.

    Reply
  10. Kalyn

    July 31, 2013 at 12:57 pm

    Do you believe I have never had fresh okra! This looks delicious.

    Reply
  11. Going Veggie

    July 31, 2013 at 2:51 pm

    LOVE this! Found you on Flipboard and added this recipe. As soon as all this rain in Georgia stops, we’ll be overrun with okra, so… bring on the recipes!

    Reply
  12. Amy at NoWheyNoCow.com

    August 1, 2013 at 5:10 pm

    I haven’t had much experience with okra, but I’m so excited to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  13. Ann

    August 1, 2013 at 6:38 pm

    This looks great and I do love okra. Thanks

    Reply
  14. Lara

    August 2, 2013 at 11:44 pm

    Really like this a lot. Although Okra is not my favorite, I do love it now and then but struggle with how to cook. Will try this for sure. Thanks. Great post.

    Reply
  15. rika@veganmiam.com

    August 4, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    Mmmmmm! Roasted okra! That’s a great idea! That’s an ingredient I would love to use on the new grill!

    Reply
  16. Sharon Herbitter

    August 5, 2013 at 2:47 pm

    I think you meant to include a link to your garam masala recipe, but I’m not seeing it…

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      August 5, 2013 at 4:00 pm

      Sorry about that! The garam masala recipe is included in this one: https://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/01/black-eyed-pea-masala.html

      Reply
  17. S

    August 5, 2013 at 2:48 pm

    Okra is one of my favorite vegetables to roast. I love sprinkling it with some hot curry powder

    Reply
    • Andy W

      August 6, 2013 at 10:40 pm

      Agree. Love okra with curry for sure. I almost think it’s a fairly underrated vegetable. Great recipe. Will try this one.

      Reply
  18. Alison Bowling

    August 7, 2013 at 3:25 am

    I have seen these strange looking veg in the supermarket and have never bought any because I was told they are slimy when cooked. Maybe I will try them your way and then make a judgement call.

    Reply
  19. Brittany @WeHeartVegan

    August 7, 2013 at 2:01 pm

    I have never tried okra before, but this recipe is giving me incentive to give it a go! Is there any specific right and wrong to purchasing okra?

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      August 7, 2013 at 2:57 pm

      Just get the smallest okra you can find, make sure it doesn’t feel “woody,” and check to see that when you bend the tip, it snaps off rather than just bends.

      Reply
  20. Veronica

    August 10, 2013 at 11:35 am

    Very nice blog/site. I have only looked over briefly, and will look forward to spending more time in the future.
    Good job! Thank you!

    Reply
  21. Jeff @ Cheeseburger

    August 12, 2013 at 4:57 am

    I’ve never cooked okra before but that photo has made me want to try it. It turned out great! Very delicious!

    Reply
  22. Sally

    August 12, 2013 at 7:10 pm

    OMG The roasted okra is to die for. I actually went and paid money for okra to make more. I have not fancied it up yet with the onions – but we have tried several spices on the okra itself. Y’all HAVE to do this! 🙂 sally

    Reply
  23. bikehikenc

    September 11, 2013 at 12:35 pm

    I LOVE the roasted okra and this will be a nice twist! I have tons in the garden now and thanks to your great site I started roasting it last year and now it is our fav way to eat it! We call them okra fries!

    Reply
  24. Sally

    September 12, 2013 at 7:38 pm

    This is my second comment on the roasted okra – just to say that I have been eating this a couple of times a week for a while now and it is making summer o so much better. I live in Central Texas where we still have HOT and okra flourishes here. Thanks Susan. I even had to buy more curry powder and now have a shaker for my curry powder 🙂

    And – okra is pretty filling too. And I completely agree about getting rid of the slime – it is GONE.

    Reply
  25. Vanessa

    August 27, 2014 at 6:30 pm

    I made these okra tonight and they were absolutely wonderful. Great and easy recipe!

    Reply
  26. Kim Winson

    August 23, 2015 at 7:57 am

    This is terrific! Made it into a meal by adding rice and navy beans, with additional salt, cumin, and garam masala.

    Reply
  27. Farah

    May 27, 2017 at 3:51 pm

    Okra what say in English but me being an Indian we say it ‘Bhindi’ and the recipe is ok and good with it. There are more recipes of it to make it more tasty and delicious.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to My Kitchen!

Susan VoisinI'm Susan Voisin, and I love creating delicious whole foods plant-based dishes with no added oil. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram.
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Find It Fast

  • Instant Pot Recipes
  • Ridiculously Easy Recipes
  • Weight Watchers Recipes
  • Recipes by Tag (ingredient, gluten-free, etc.)
  • Complete Recipe Index

Find a Recipe

Allergens

All of my recipes are vegan, dairy-free, and fish free. To find recipes free of other allergens, click on an icon below.

Gluten FreeNut FreeSugar FreeSoy Free

Footer

Fall Favorites

Pasta Fagioli with Cranberry Beans and Kale

Pasta Fagioli with Cranberry Beans and Kale

Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Vegan Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Spaghetti Squash Pesto Lasagna

Spaghetti Squash Pesto Lasagna

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Lentil Soup with Coriander and Cumin

See More Fall Favorites

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Photos, original recipes, and text © Susan Voisin. All rights reserved. Do not republish content without permission.

Nutritional information is approximate and is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate. This site has no affiliation with Weight Watchers™️ and cannot guarantee accuracy of Points™️.

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 · Susan Voisin · Privacy Policy· Log in