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In bhindi pakora recipe we make use of the property of sticky bhindi to make a crunchy and tasty bhindi pakoda. This unusual okra fritters tastes too good and is sure to win over many hearts. The success of this crispy bhindi pakora lies in how well you make the dough without using any water.

bhindi pakora is made mainly from bhindi, besan, Indian spices and oil for deep frying.

Bhindi has a property that not many people know to exploit to their advantage. The seemingly sticky vegetable is capable of lending a crisp texture to many snacks including bhindi pakora.

Even today, in Tamil Nadu you will find some knowledgeable people adding a handful of chopped bhindi to their dosa batter to get a charming golden colour and exciting crispness.

Notes on bhindi pakora recipe. 1. Mix the dough very well while squeezing it simultaneously, without using any water form a mixture. The sticky property of bhindi help in binding together all the ingredients. 2. Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan, drop spoonful of the mixture using your fingers. Maintain the temperature of oil. Very high heat browns the pakora from outside very fast and the inside remains uncooked. If you let the temperature too low then they will turn oily.

Once okra fritters are deep-fried, sprinkle a dash of chaat masala on these yummy pakoras and serve hot with tea.

You can also try other pakoras like the Gobi Pakora or Paneer Pakoda.

Is Bhindi Pakora, Bhindi Pakoda healthy?

No, this is not healthy. Let's see why.

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

1. Bhindi (lady finger, okra) : The B9 (vitamin Folate) present in lady finger is required in blood RBC production. There are also fair amounts of Vitamin C, which boosts immunity. There are good amounts for dietary fiber present in bhindi and hence good for diabetics and weight loss.  It lowers cholesterol and good for heart. See the 10 amazing benefits of lady finger.  

2. Besan : Besan has more good fat than whole wheat flour and also higher protein content. Rich in complex carbohydrates and with a low glycemic index, besan is good for diabetics too. Besan is high in Folate or folic acid, which is important for rapid growth and multiplication of red blood cells and white blood cells (WBC) in the bone marrow. See 10 detailed benefits of besan and why it's good for you. 

3. Coriander (kothmir, dhania) : Coriander is a fresh herb often used as a flavour enhancer in Indian cooking. It is mainly used as a garnish. This is the best way to use it - no cooking. This preserves its vitamin C content which helps to build our immunity and bring that sparkle to the skin. The antioxidants vitamin A, vitamin C and the quercetin present in coriander works towards strengthening our immune system. Coriander is a fairly good source of iron and folate – the 2 nutrient which help in the production and maintenance of red blood cells in our blood. Good for reducing cholesterol and good for diabetics. Read 9 benefits of coriander to understand details. 

4. Green Chillies : Antioxidant vitamin C in green chillies protects the body from effects of harmful free radicals and prevents stress. It is probably the high fiber which helps in controlling blood sugar levels. This it is a welcome addition to a diabetic diet. Suffering from anaemia? Add green chillies to your list of iron rich foods too. For complete details see benefits of green chilli. 

5. Turmeric Powder (Haldi) : Turmeric helps in digestion of food thus helping to overcome indigestion. Haldi may help in reducing the growth of fat cells in the body. Turmeric, being rich in iron, is highly valuable in the treatment of anaemia and both the root as well as the powder should be a regular part of an anaemic diet. One of the health benefits of turmeric is it’s anti-inflammatory property due to the active compound, Curcumin, which helps to relieve inflammation of the joints and thus is a ladder to relieve pain related to arthritis. The curcumin in haldi also helps to ward of the bacteria’s causing cold, cough and throat irritation.  Turmeric benefits in diabetes management by lowering blood glucose levels. Its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects are useful in the treatment of diabetes patients.  It is known to be a good brain food and keep diseases like Alzheimer’s at bay. See here for detailed turmeric benefits. 

6. Coriander cumin seeds powder: The most common benefit of coriander cumin seeds powder known to many is to soothe the stomach, intestine and the entire digestive tract. It is an appetite stimulant and aids in the secretion of gastric juices. The presence of thymol in cumin seeds powder bags a part of its credit. It is also a good source of calcium. Coriander powder is known to manage blood sugar levels in diabetics. Cumin seeds powder, on the other hand, aids in weight loss. This powder also exhibits anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. 

What's the problem?

1. Rice flour (chawal ka atta) : Rice flour is high in carbohydrates, not a good source of protein. Since it is made from polished rice it has no vitamins and minerals. Consumption of rice flour can cause inflammtion in your body and not good for heart patients and diabetics. See full details on is rice flour bad for you? 

2. Deep fried foods : This recipe is deep fried. Any food that is deep fried is not suitable for healthy living. Your fat levels increase as deep frying increases oil absorption. Also when you use the same oil again for deep frying then smoking point decreases which leads to the development of blue smoke which is not good for health. Processed food, Deep Fried Foods also increases inflammation in the body and shuts down the fat burning process. Most diseases from heart, to cardio vascular, diabetes, parkinsons, alzheimer, cancer and obesity result when the cells get inflamed and then they don't function correctly. Inflammation in the arteries can cause heart attacks. So your diet should contain foods that fight inflammation in the body. That's how your body gets healthier by eating the right stuff. 

Note : 1 cup = 200 ml (standard cup available in the market). The weight in grams varies for each ingredient.

Can diabetics, heart patients and overweight individuals have Bhindi Pakora, Bhindi Pakoda?

No, this recipe is not good for diabetics, heart and weight loss. This pakora is deep fried. Any food that is deep fried is not suitable for healthy living. Your fat levels increase as deep frying increases oil absorption. Also when you use the same oil again for deep frying then smoking point decreases which leads to the development of blue smoke which is not good for health.

Can healthy individuals have Bhindi Pakora, Bhindi Pakoda?

No. Stay away from deep fried food.

Here are some Healthy snack options

You can have Baked Samosa with mixed sprouts, Matarsutir Kachori,  Oats Moong Dal Tikki, Baked methi muthia recipe,  Zunka recipe, moong dal dhokla recipe,  bajra carrot onion uttapam recipe , baked palak jowar murukku, mini jowar pancakes or buckwheat pancake as one healthy recipe option. 

Matarsutir Kochuri, Healthy Bengali Snack

Healthy Chutney to have

Have this with nutritious green chutney recipe which has ZERO sugar used in it made with mint leaves, onions and coriander, lehsun ka chutney, green garlic chutney or green chutney recipe.  Coconut based options are healthy coconut chutney made from coconut and coriander and coconut coriander green chutney for idlis dosa uttapam vada.

Green Chutney, How To Make Green Chutney Recipe

8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet

1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet. 

2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good. 

Skip having Indian junk foods like pav bhaji, bata vada, pakoras, gulab jamun as they cause your body to have insulance resistance. The resultant is your body will store more carbohydrates as fats, causing storage of fat in the stomach causing a paunch and slowing down of our fat burning process. So its a bad cyle which causes you more more hunger and fatigue every time you eat junk food. 

3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads  recipes using this food group.           

4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar  is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage. 

Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes. 

This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes. 

5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds. Stress. The easiest way to kill your immune system is chronic stress. 

6.  Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts. 

7.  Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym. No activity reduces muscle tissue which will lead to muscke loss and all kinds of problems with that. Workout builds immunity and keeps virus or bugs away. 

8.  Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover and makes you look much younger. Also getting good sleep prevent muscle loss, builds immunity and keeps virus or bugs away.

One serving of Bhindi Pakoda is high in

1. Protein : Protein is required for the managing the wear and tear of all cells of the body.

2. Fiber : Dietary fiber reduce the risk of heart disease, prevent the spike in blood sugar levels and hence super for diabetics. Consume more fruits, vegetables, moong, oats, matki, whole grains.

3. Vitamin B1 : Vitamin B1 protects nerves, helps in carbohydrate metabolism, prevents heart diseases and helps produce red blood cells. 

4. Vitamin B3 (niacin) : Vitamin B3 helps in brain functioning and mental health. Also healthy skin formation.  

5. Vitamin C :  Vitamin C is a great defence against coughs and colds.

6. Folic Acid : Folic acid is an essential vitamin required throughout pregnancy.

7. Iron : Iron is essential in the chemical reactions that produce energy from foods. Eat more greens and garden cress seeds to prevent you from being anaemic. Here are the top 7 sources of iron rich foods. 

8. Phosphorous : Phosphorous works closely with calcium to build bones. 

9. Magnesium : Magnesium is required for formation of bones and teeth. helps in the metabolism of calcium and potassium.

Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

How to burn 367 calories that come from one serving of Bhindi Pakoda?

Walking (6 kmph) = 1 hr 50 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 37 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 49 mins       

Swimming (2 kmph) = 1 hr 3 mins

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.