Crispy, crunchy air-fried okra are stuffed in a delectable blend of spices and condiments, resulting in a dish that is bound to leave you licking your fingers. Give this crispy stuffed okra recipe a shot when you’re in the mood to try out a flavorful and delicious dish that can be severed as a side, or turned into a main.
But before you jump onto the recipe, here’s everything you need to know about it.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need two sets of ingredients to make the crispy stuffed okra.
For the stuffing
- Besan: ¾ cup
- Peanuts (powdered): ½ cup
- Oil: 1 tbsp
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Black Salt: 1 tsp
- Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
- Black pepper powder: 1 tsp
- Red chili powder: 1 tbsp
- Coriander powder: 1 tsp
- Cumin powder: 1 tsp
- Dry mango powder: 1 tsp
- Chaat masala: 1 tsp
- Garam masala: 1 tsp
For the okra
- Okras: 250 grams
- Prepared stuffing
- Oil: As required
How to Make the Crispy Stuffed Okra
Once you have everything ready, here’s the process you need to follow to make the crispy stuffed okra from scratch.
Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 5 minutes.
Next, take a bowl. Add the besan, powdered peanuts, oil, salt, black salt, black pepper powder, red chili powder, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, dry mango powder, chaat masala, and garam masala. Mix all of them together.
Wash and dry the okras. Then chop off the top and bottom of each piece.
Next, create a slit at the center of the okras so as to insert the stuffing.
Fill each okra with a generous amount of stuffing.
Spray the air fryer basket with oil and add the stuffed okras to it. Spray oil on top once again.
Air fry the okras at 400°F for 8-10 minutes or until completely cooked.
Enjoy this delicious recipe as a side dish with rice and dal or roti.
Frequently Asked Questions
When it comes to cooking okra, you need to keep a couple of things in mind. Remember to wash it thoroughly and then pat it dry completely before you create slits into it. Getting rid of all the excess moisture is important to help prevent the okra from getting slimy.
Also, remember to make slits into the okra and stuff it right before you are ready to air fry it. Prepping this step in advance will also get the okra to start releasing water and turn slimy. 
You definitely can! If you don’t have an air fryer, using a pan on the stovetop is your next best option to cook the crispy stuffed okra. You’ll need to make sure you use a large, heavy pan- ideally a cast iron pan or skillet so that the heat is evenly distributed throughout the cooking surface.
Also remember that if you’re cooking the okra in a pan, you’ll need to keep the heat medium- keeping it too high will cause the okra to get burned, and the stuffing inside to be undercooked. In contrast, keeping the heat too low will eventually cause the okra to start releasing water and turn soggy, instead of nice and crispy as it should be. 
Not a fan of adding crushed peanuts to the filling? You can use unsweetened desiccated coconut instead too. The idea is to use an ingredient that lends a mild flavor to the okra, and also adds bulk to the spice mixture.
If you’re not too sure about using either of these, you can just skip using them entirely and just stick to using the besan (chickpea flour) as the recipe calls for. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Crispy Stuffed Okra
Ready to give this flavorful recipe a try? You might want to keep these additional tips and tricks handy.
- If you’re cooking the crispy stuffed okra in the air fryer, it is important to grease the basket well to ensure that the okra doesn’t stick to the surface.
- Try to get all the pieces of okra nearly the same size- if some pieces are too long, you might want to cut them in half and then stuff them.
- If you’re cooking the okra in a pan, keep in mind not to cover the pan with a lid. Keeping the lid on might speed up the cooking process, but it’ll cause the okra to turn soft and soggy.
- Remember not to stir the pan (or shake the air fryer basket) too much while the okra is being cooked. Just a gentle toss (or shake) should be good enough and serve the purpose.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
Your crispy stuffed okra can be devoured as is, or served with some ketchup. If you’re looking to turn this into a main meal, pair the okra with some rotis, naans, or parathas. The okra can also be an excellent side with a main Indian meal of a curry (like these soya chunks curry or the classic Indian potato curry) and some rice.
📖 Recipe
Crispy Stuffed Okra
Ingredients
Ingredients for the stuffing
- ¾ cup Besan
- ½ cup Peanuts, (powdered)
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Black salt
- 1 tablespoon Ginger garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper powder
- 1 tablespoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Dry mango powder
- 1 teaspoon Chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala
Ingredients for the okra
- 250 gms Okras
- 1 bowl Prepared stuffing
- 1 cup Oil
Instructions
- Pre-heat the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes.
- Next, take a bowl. Add the besan, powdered peanuts, oil, salt, black salt, black pepper powder, red chili powder, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder, dry mango powder, chaat masala, and garam masala. Mix all of them together.
- Wash and dry the okras. Then chop off the top and bottom of each piece.
- Next, create a slit at the center of the okras so as to insert the stuffing.
- Fill each okra with a generous amount of stuffing.
- Spray the air fryer basket with oil and add the stuffed okras to it. Spray oil on top once again.
- Air fry the okras at 400°F for 8-10 minutes or until completely cooked.
- Enjoy this delicious recipe as aside dish with rice and dal or roti.
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