Vegetable and paneer dishes
Calories in Bhindi Sabzi
One bowl of bhindi sabzi has about 184 kcal, with 3 g of protein, 7.5 g of carbohydrate and 15.4 g of fat. The Indian Nutrient Databank's recipe fries 120 g of bhindi and 30 g of onion in 15 g of oil and counts that as a bowl. With less oil in the pan, the same bhindi comes to much less.
Nutrition in 1 bowl of bhindi sabzi
| Nutrient | 1 bowl of bhindi sabzi | 2 bowls of bhindi sabzi |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 184 kcal | 368 kcal |
| Protein | 3 g | 6 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 7.5 g | 15 g |
| Total fat | 15.4 g | 30.8 g |
| Dietary fibre | 5.9 g | 11.8 g |
| Sugars | 2.4 g | 4.8 g |
Of this energy, about 17% comes from carbohydrate, 77% from fat and 7% from protein.
1 bowl of bhindi sabzi is about 9% of the daily energy requirement of a sedentary adult man and 11% of a sedentary adult woman's (ICMR-NIN, 2020).
These figures are from the Indian Nutrient Databank (INDB), which calculates each dish from a standard recipe using Indian food composition data. They describe that recipe and that serving: a larger portion, or more oil, ghee or sugar, gives more. Source: Vijayakumar A, Dubasi HB, Awasthi A, Jaacks LM. Development of an Indian Food Composition Database. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2024;8(7):103790 (Indian Nutrient Databank, INDB).
What this figure covers
The figure describes bhindi fry of the everyday kind: 120 g of okra and 30 g of onion cooked in 15 g of oil, with spices, as a single bowl. That is a proper helping of a dry sabzi. A katori at home may hold less, and the amount of oil varies from one kitchen to the next more than almost anything else in the recipe, because bhindi is usually fried uncovered until it stops being sticky. Take 184 kcal as the number for this recipe at this serving size.
Bhindi sabzi shows the gap between a vegetable and its cooking oil plainly. Fat supplies 77% of the energy, carbohydrate 17% and protein 7%. The okra and onion together contribute just 7.5 g of carbohydrate, along with 5.9 g of fibre; almost everything else is the 15 g of oil, which accounts for nearly all of the 15.4 g of fat. The bowl is therefore low in starch and reasonably high in fibre, but it is not low in fat.
What goes into one serving
The recipe INDB analysed makes 1 bowl. These are its main ingredients; spices, salt and water are left out.
| Ingredient | In the recipe | In 1 bowl of bhindi sabzi |
|---|---|---|
| Okra (bhindi) | 120 g | 120 g |
| Onion | 30 g | 30 g |
| Oil | 15 g | 15 g |
What changes the number
- 01
Oil used to fry out the stickiness
Bhindi is cooked in open oil to dry out its slime, and the longer it fries, the more it takes up. The recipe counts 15 g; a further teaspoon makes the bowl 228 kcal. Kurkuri bhindi, sliced thin and deep-fried, is a different and much heavier dish.
- 02
Dry bhindi or bhindi masala
The figure is for a dry fry with onion. A bhindi masala with a tomato and onion gravy usually needs more oil for the masala, and bhindi do pyaza carries more onion, which adds a little carbohydrate.
- 03
How much bhindi in the bowl
The recipe uses 120 g of okra for the bowl. Half that bowl is about 92 kcal, a fair figure for a small katori, and two bowls are 368 kcal with 30.8 g of fat.
- 04
Besan, peanuts and coconut
Regional versions coat the bhindi in besan, or finish it with crushed peanuts or grated coconut. Each of these adds energy that the plain bhindi sabzi recipe here does not include.
How bhindi sabzi compares
Other dishes of the same kind, one serving each, lightest first. Serving sizes differ, so read the serving before the number.
| Dish | One serving | Energy (kcal) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bharwa Bhindi | 1 bowl of bharwa bhindi | 104 | 2.3 |
| Cabbage Matar | 1 bowl of cabbage matar | 106 | 5.4 |
| Sookhe Aloo | 1 bowl of sookhe aloo | 109 | 1.7 |
| Sarson ka Saag | 1 bowl of sarson ka saag | 124 | 4.3 |
| Aloo ki Sabzi | 1 bowl of aloo ki sabzi | 181 | 3.1 |
| Bhindi Sabzi | 1 bowl of bhindi sabzi | 184 | 3 |
| Soya Chunks Curry | 1 bowl of soya chunks curry | 184 | 6.8 |
| Aloo Gobi | 1 bowl of aloo gobi | 187 | 3.3 |
| Aloo Palak | 1 bowl of aloo palak | 192 | 5.5 |
| Beans Thoran | 1 bowl of beans thoran | 197 | 3.9 |
| Baingan Bharta | 1 bowl of baingan bharta | 212 | 4.5 |
| Masala Arbi | 1 bowl of masala arbi | 215 | 3.5 |
| Dahi Aloo | 1 bowl of dahi aloo | 227 | 5.9 |
| Paneer Butter Masala | 1 bowl of paneer butter masala | 228 | 11 |
| Palak Paneer | 1 bowl of palak paneer | 230 | 11.9 |
| Bharwa Karela | 1 bowl of bharwa karela | 231 | 1.4 |
| Matar Mushroom | 1 bowl of matar mushroom | 259 | 10.7 |
| Aloo Methi | 1 bowl of aloo methi | 276 | 4.6 |
| Aloo Matar | 1 bowl of aloo matar | 280 | 9.7 |
| Kadai Paneer | 1 bowl of kadai paneer | 344 | 13.8 |
| Matar Paneer | 1 bowl of matar paneer | 374 | 18.3 |
| Paneer Tikka | 1 plate of paneer tikka | 412 | 22.4 |
In a meal and in a day
One bowl of bhindi comes to about 9% of a sedentary man's daily energy requirement and 11% of a woman's. Because it has only 7.5 g of carbohydrate, bhindi sabzi does not compete with the roti or rice in the way a potato dish does, and its 5.9 g of fibre helps a meal of dal and roti feel complete. Its weakness is protein, 3 g a bowl, so the dal or curd beside it does that job. A second bowl adds mostly oil: 368 kcal for two.
Ways to keep it lighter
- Wipe the bhindi completely dry before cutting; dry bhindi turns less sticky and needs less oil.
- Cook it in a wide non-stick or well-seasoned pan with 2 teaspoons of oil, stirring only occasionally.
- Add a squeeze of lemon or a pinch of amchur towards the end, which cuts the stickiness without more frying.
- Roast or air-fry sliced bhindi with a light coating of oil in place of deep-frying it for kurkuri bhindi.
Before you rely on the number
Bhindi sabzi is low in carbohydrate, at 7.5 g a bowl. That does not make it a remedy for anything: claims that okra controls blood sugar are not something these figures can support, and anyone with diabetes should follow their doctor or dietitian's plan. The thing to watch is plainer. With 77% of the energy from fat, the oil in the pan decides whether this is a light dish or not.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
Bhindi Sabzi: common questions
How many calories are in 2 bowls of bhindi sabzi?
About 368 kcal for two bowls of this recipe, with 6 g of protein, 15 g of carbohydrate and 30.8 g of fat. Three bowls are 552 kcal. Since the fat is nearly all cooking oil, bhindi made with less oil will come in under these figures.
Is bhindi sabzi good for weight loss?
Bhindi suits a lighter plate: low in starch, with 5.9 g of fibre in a bowl. As this recipe cooks it, though, 77% of the 184 kcal is oil, so the method matters more than the vegetable. Pan-cooked bhindi with a little oil fits easily; deep-fried bhindi does not. Losing weight comes from the whole day's intake, and bhindi is one small part of it.
Bhindi sabzi or bharwa bhindi: which has fewer calories?
Bharwa bhindi, in this set of recipes: 104 kcal a bowl against 184 kcal for bhindi sabzi. The stuffed version here is made with less okra, no onion and less oil. A bharwa bhindi with a besan or peanut stuffing, shallow-fried, would not keep that advantage.
How much protein is in bhindi sabzi?
About 3 g in a bowl, which is 7% of its energy. Okra is a fibre vegetable, with 5.9 g in this bowl, not a protein one. Dal, curd, paneer or egg has to bring the protein to the meal.
The recipe, the ingredients and related reading
Bhindi Masala
The recipe on this site, step by step.
Okra (bhindi): nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Onion: nutrition per 100 g
Nutrients per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.
Indian food calorie chart: household portions, not per 100 g
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Is an Air Fryer Healthy? Calories, Acrylamide and Indian Snacks
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Which Cooking Oil Is Best in India? Mustard, Groundnut, Rice Bran and More
The portion-by-portion answer, in the NNWA journal.
Indian food calorie counter
Add up a whole plate in rotis, katoris and cups.
Calories in every dish
All the cooked dishes, with calories per serving.
Learn to read a plate
Certification in Nutrition
Estimating what is on a plate and turning it into a meal plan is taught in this NNWA course.