 Scorpacciata is a term that means consuming large amounts of a particular local ingredient while it's in season. It's a good way to eat. Let Mario Batali pronounce it for you. The first time my mother ever cooked for my father, she made okra. If the cuisine of my childhood provides any indication, there's an excellent chance that she defrosted a cube of pods, chucked them into a pot and boiled until floppy. Neither she nor my father is Southern or Indian in upbringing. Okra is not their birthright; they were clearly tempting fate. My father chewed dutifully, likely made the appropriate "yummy" faces - until my mother took a bite and bolted for the sink. He quickly followed suit, and the story became the stuff of family legend - not to mention a family phobia. Yup – it sure can be. "Snot" is often cited as the closest texture analogue, and that's fair. Okra is a member of the mallow family, and as such contains mucilage - a sticky substance that may seep out when the okra pod is cut. This is emphasized, and in fact prized in some dishes like gumbo, where it's added to lend both flavor and body, or in a traditionally Southern tomato and okra stew. A splash of vinegar or lemon juice can help cut the slime factor, but the truly ooze-averse cooks tend to default to frying. Golden brown rounds at a roadside barbecue joint in the shadow of a South Texas mega-church provided my own personal okra redemption. There's much to be said for whole pods or slices dredged in cornmeal flecked with salt and pepper, and fried in the fat of one's choosing. It's darned delicious, and minimal in slime, but it's also, ya know - fried. Can't do that every day. So I've experimented over the years, tossing raw slices into salads, roasting on baking sheets and pickling jars of whole pods to garnish drinks. All those methods have their merit, but I've found that open flame works perhaps best of all. The outer skin crisps up to nearly crackling on the grill, while the insides of the pods stay miraculously slime free and still maintain moisture throughout. It's a textural two-fer that's packed with health benefits, including high fiber, Vitamins A and C and plenty of minerals like iron, calcium, manganese and magnesium. If I'm firing up the grill to sear a skirt steak or a halibut filet, it's become second nature to toss on a skewer or two of fresh, young, in-season okra to serve as a side. 'Snot any trouble at all. Grilled Okra Wash fresh, young pods and trim the stems, while leaving the tops intact. Thread the pods onto skewers side by side, but not touching. If you're using bamboo skewers, soak them for at least 30 minutes beforehand so they won't burn. Brush or spray the pods lightly with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Your favorite barbecue rub will add an extra layer of flavor, as will powdered, okra-friendly spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika or cayenne pepper. Heat the grill to medium, oil the grate and cook the skewers for 2-3 minutes, then flip over for an addition 2-3 minutes. The pods should be slightly crisp and pick up grill marks, but shouldn't be charred. Remove from heat, remove the skewers, sprinkle lightly with lemon juice if desired and serve. See all our best grilling advice at Grilling 101 |
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Wow! Grilled okra is an awesome addition to grilled veggies! Thank you for grilling something other than meat and sharing it with the world. I was recently inspired by this delicious picture: http://imunchie.com/oliviab/munchies/grilled-savory-vegetables
Re : the dehydrated thread , Earth Fare carries their line of okra and other veggies and theyre kinda freeze dried but totally dry and crunchy.. I grew Clemson spineless in containers this year , tall plants will suppress any other "hitchhikers" Good yeild and one of the prettiest blooms in my garden
That story is right up there. The first meal my then-boyfriend (now hubby of 33+ years) made for me was liver and onions! That could've been tempting fate too, except I love liver and onions. So all's well that ends well!
Just a note....how about trying some GOOD salt in this dish? I recently got some Himalayan pink salt and organic peppercorns from Sustainable Sourcing https://secure.sustainablesourcing.com and I'll have to try them out in this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
The Indian way: bindi masala- can find on almost any menu in an Indian restaurant and is easy to make at home.
I like it best baked!
Trim the stems off, toss in a little olive oil, salt & pepper or other seasoning mixture, and bake in an uncovered dish at 350" for 15 or 20 minutes.
No Slime!
We saute it in butter with lemon juice, garlic and hot sauce and serve it over rice. Sometimes I add fire roasted tomatoes or sliced up sausage-yum!
My wife doesn't like the slime factor either but I love it most any way it's cooked. My wife likes to cook it the way her grandmother always cooked it which is to chop it up and heat it in the fryin' pan with a little oil until the moisure cooks out. When that happens she adds one egg and mixes it with the okra as the egg cooks (scrambles). She adds salt and pepper for seasoning. Everyone in our family enjoys it this way.
Okra grilled is absolutely fabulous and for those who haven't tried, please do. You will be very surprised. Yummi!!!
Pour some EVO all over me and then.......Eat Me.
I use Alton Brown's method. Cut okra in corn meal with salt and pepper (sometimes garlic powder) and placed into a dry pan. Working on top of the stove, let it continue on medium heat until golden and a little crunchy. The okra puts out just enough moisture to make the corn meal stick.
You get tired of the same old green beans, corn, and broccoli. Okra is a nice change once in a while.
The best dish with okra is from my home state, Minas Gerais, Brazil: chicken with okra: http://www.cozinhabrasileira.com/carnes/frango_com_quiabo_2.html. Please, use a translator.
stir-fried with Garlic, cilantro, onions and mushrooms in olive oil
The best way to eat it is to feed it to the garbage disposal, but it jams up the disposal too.
Other for sure – I LOVE okra cooked Indian style as Bhindi Masala. Saute some onion in ghee till it's well caramelized, remove from pan, then add a few tablespoons more ghee (clarified butter). Throw in a tsp or so of cumin seed (plus some mustard seed if you like, which I do occasionally). When the seed crackles, add 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/4 tsp or to taste of ground or crushed red pepper (you can use paprika if you want it totally mild), about 1 1/2 cups (8 oz.) young, tender okra cut into 1/2 inch slices, and about half of another onion chopped in large pieces. It's very important to use only the smallest young okra; select them carefully, only those less than the length of your middle finger and no thicker than your thumb. Older , bigger pieces are tough and woody, and a lot slimier. Stir and fry for about 5 minutes then add about 2/3 cup coarsely chopped tomato (about one medium or 2-3 roma). Fry for another couple of minutes then return the caramelized onion to the pan with about 2 tbsp water. Continue to cook until the onion and okra are tender and the tomato is pulpy. The okra will pass thru a stage where it is a little slimy but keep on – once the okra is tender and the caramelized onion has formed a sauce with the tomato, the slime will be gone. Now that the okra is cooked, salt to taste – if you add salt when you put the okra in, it will draw out the slime, so wait til it is cooked thru and off the heat. You can add another 1/2 tsp garam masala at the end, too, and do sprinkle on some fresh chopped cilantro. This is fabulous. Tender, satisfying, and a delicious accompaniment to any Indian style meal or to roast pork.
There are dozens of slightly varying recipes for Bhindi Masala on the net. Some of them call for simply frying the okra in ghee first before constructing the dish, as a way of preventing any slimness. That can make the dish incredibly rich. (No harm in that IMHO.) I like to try various different ones from time to time. I add a couple of tbsp Besan (gram flour) to this dish occasionally too (add a little more ghee if you try that). This dish is easy to make and cooks up quickly. I could eat it as the main course of a meal with some basmati rice or a couple of good chapatti or parathas. I'm drooling just thinking about it! One reason I love this so much is my mother use to stew okra and tomatoes with some onion and flavor it with a little cinnamon – just a hint. Served as a side dish with other good classic southern cooking it is sooo good, my father and I used to fight over the last portion, not knowing at the time my mom had already put up a portion in the fridge for herself to snack on after everyone else had gone to bed. The garam masala in this dish reminds me of the cinnamon my mom used. Gosh we loved that stuff!!
I hope others will be encouraged to look up Bhindi masala and try a recipe they find interesting. It's fast, easy to prepare, and delicious, and best of all very nutritious. It's a great introduction to Indian cooking too. Just watch how much butter/ghee you put in. It makes the dish rich and gives it a luscious mouth feel but of course adds on the calories quickly.
The first time I had fried okra, I was sick to my stomach. Not because it was terrible, but because I grew up on okra a completely different way than the Southern US. Mom’s okra. My mother is a phenomenal cook (chef really). Hailing from Salle, Morocco and born in the 1960s, it was ingrained in their culture to teach women how to cook and reveal centuries of trade secrets. My mother learned these sacred recipes and at the same time was treated to the latest fashions during her youth and teens, as well as the best education and freedom of choice in her life.
To this day, her okra is cooked in an authentic clay cuisine pot with a piece of beef from her favorite butcher (mom and my aunt have been driving an hour to this butcher since I was 8 years old) potatoes, okra, saffron, cumin, parsley, special ingredients and simmered for hours. Exquisite. The okra is soft, a bit gooey, and full flavor from the broth. When eaten with pita bread the okra spreads apart onto the meat and potatoes giving it a texture and taste that is only experienced in this dish. Mom’s Moroccan okra dish is a force to be recon with. I invite any food critic to come over for dinner anytime!! There is more where that came from……you have no idea…
Try frying it with little cubes of potatoes, the red ones are best. I just dust with Morrison's cornbread mix instead of battering. Also add strips of onion sometimes. One of my favorites.
First ran into okra in Boot Camp. it was the only thing I would not eat, no matter how hungry I was. tried fried okra at a Cajun chicken franchise near Cleveland, OH, and was surprised, but still didn't buy. That early mindset is just too powerful. I guess it's like NASCAR: just too repulsive.
I like it lightly steamed and then sauted in garlic and olive oil with grape tomatoes. Gorgeous and very yummy. :o)
and not slimey. :o)
Boiled with some butter and salt is my favorite. Just don't cook it until the pods open. My mom has recently started steaming it, which gives you the boiled texture without the slime.
Slice it, stir fry it in olive oil with other veggies from the garden, then pour whipped egg over it to make a veggie omelet. It was delicious!
Cut in large slices and stir fried with other vegetables
I'm a Midwesterner but I'm weird, I like spicy food. I've never had okra outside a gumbo, and it's great in gumbo.
In deep South Texas that's about all you can grow in the middle of summer!!!! The stuff loves heat !! I like it fried and pickled and haven't grown it in years!!!
Yep, at this point, it's the only greenery we've got left in the garden here in Austin. Everything else, tomatoes included, have given up the ghost, but please believe the okra is out here going to town like it's nothing.
Nothing like Indian curry with fish or meat!
Most do not eat it raw but it's good! try it!...
I've spent many summers cutting okra to be "canned" for the winter with my grandmother. It is one of my favorite memories of her. Stewed okra, tomatoes, shrimp and chicken is my all time favorite meal but only when done right....especially if it is done by MA!
Fried, Gumbo'd or pickled is just fine. i may have to try the grill thing.
This Southern girl loves her okra ("okrie") fried, but I came across whole okra pods that were dehydrated. They were very crispy/crunchy without the fat of being layered in cornmeal and fried with oil. Just an option you might want to check into. I found the dehydrated okra in a Mennonite owned store in a small Arkansas town, but an investment in a dehydrator might be in order!
Were they cooked before dehydrating, cooked after dehydrating, or eaten raw? I am intrigued.
My mom used to make okra, corn & tomatoes in the summer. She used corn off the cob and the crunch of the fresh corn, with taste of the slightly mushy okra and the tomatoes was so good. Only thing better was the fried corn (what some would call creamed corn) she made. This reminds me that i should see if she remembers her recipes !
My favorite way to eat okra is to cut the tops off few fresh pods and boil them in a pot with fresh picked Purple Hull Peas. Nothing finer. It's a southern tradition. Fresh okra also makes, fresh from the garden, vegetable soup have that extra good taste.
I am growing purple hulled peas and okra (for the first time–northern variety) in my Maine garden. The okra is doing well–can't wait! I love it stewed and fried. :)
I LIKE THEM COOKED WITH COLLARD GREENS OR WITH BLACK EYED PEAS. CAN BE COOKED SEPARATE OR TOGETHER. YUMMY DELIXCIOUS!!!!
I like it when you turn off your fuquing caps lock, tard.
Bhindi Masala! Onions, spices and okra...yummm...
I saute it with olive oil and sea salt and fresh chopped garlis YUMMY
Don Garlis?
Other: Smothered okra. Amazing. Or in gumbo.
In the Caribbean we wash, DRY and cut up the ochro (okra) in little circles and saute in a little bit of oil with chopped onions and garlic.
We also add cooked shrimp and/or tomatoes and cook until just turning brown. No slime – and delicious with rice and dholl or with roti. We also clip the two ends off and drop in any regular stew and cook for a few minutes, again no slime.
Use the okra for compost, use the compost to grow almost anything else, eat the new stuff.
I love okra! It is so easy to grow here in Mississippi. We have 18 plants in our garden and they produce more okra than two people can eat.
or steamed
sour soup
LADY-FINGERS AND ME! I am from India. As a kid, I hated Okra, as a boy I liked it, as a grown up man, I fell in love with it. In India, they call it "Bhindi," in Middle East it is "Bamian", but in England they call it, Lady-fingers. When the first time I looked for it in an American grocery store, and asked for lady-fingers, they laughed. But I leaned yet another name for Lady-fingers, OKRA. To tell you the truth, it still looks a bhindi or a lady-finger to me. :)
I personally like okra breaded and fried , then smothered with melted cheddar or nacho cheese!!!
I love it cooked any way – slimy or not. Never really thought about the 'slimy' – that's just what okra is.
Did anyone else skim down the article list and wonder "Why would you fry Oprah?"
I thought she retired back in May...
Okra is the vegan's oyster without a shell.
Yeah, snot.
Hmmm.. My childhood memories of okra is the dish my mother used to make – fried – although not coated in cornmeal just plain – with some salt, red chilli powder, a few tsps of cumin – over hot white rice.. then my sister experimented with okra opened lengthwise stuffed with all sorts of spices, red chilli powder and then shallow-fried... Wooooo hoooo.. got to go have it... see y'all
Cut okra into 1/2 inch pieces, rub turmeric powder and salt into it and set aside for an hour. Pick out the pieces (most of the slime will stay behind), fry partially in olive oil, cover and let cook in low heat for a few minutes. Add 1:1 ratio of grated coconut, half an onion chopped finely, cumin powder, few mustard seeds, sliced green chili pepper, salt and a pinch of sugar to taste. Saute until water has evaporated. Top with chopped cilantro and enjoy with rice, flatbread, naan bread. SE Asian/Indian recipe.
I will never forget after moving from the Midwest to Panhandle Florida as a young boy, my thoroughly Midwestern mother fixing us okra – straight from the freezer into the microwave! It took dating a Texan in college, who introduced me to fried okra, for me to get over the trauma.
An alternative to the slow stewed southern tomatoes and okra is a Brazilian method I learned: saute first okra, then separately diced fresh tomatoes, each over high heat (the secret to eliminating the slime and why both frying and your grilling method work) then combining them after they are cooked.
Okra is delicous stir fried/tossed in olive oil.....while still crisp outside its tender inside. try it
I am Asian Indian and we love Okra in every way. We add spice like chllli, coriander powder, salt to taste and fry it after cutting it up to small pieces about 1/2 inch wide. we also like to split it length wise, fill it with chilli and other seasoning and dry it in the sun. Then deep fry them and eat with buttermilk. I love Okra especially the way my wife makes it. Can't have enough of it, slime and all. just look for south indian recipe using okra.
Where was the "All of the above" option? I love all forms of okra.
what you said!
I'm Turkish. Okra is a birthright! I beg my mom to make okra stew with tomatoes and a squeeze of lemon.
I grew up in GA and SC around Savannah. I have eaten and still do eat OKRA raw or cooked anyway. We would grab a pod when we passed throught the garden, Okra & Tomatoes on rice, Okra and hot peppers cooked with Black-Eyed Peas on rice, boiled Okra with rice or potatoes or lima beans or whatever. Slimy or not it is still a very good and tasty additive to any meal or by itself.
Yup I am an Indian and I like it stuffed. I never ate it any other way growing up. I now caramelize onions, spice it up with cumin and coriander powder, some chili powder, turmeric, amchur. Take it off the heat, mix in with lots and lots of ground peanuts and finely chopped cilantro, salt and pepper. Stuff in some semi sauteed slit okra and let it cook for 8-10 minutes on low heat.
We love to cut the stem ends off, sprinkle the remaining stalks with Creole or Cajun seasoning, then saute them for just 2-3 minutes in olive oil. They remain relatively crunchy and are so delicious this way.
I'm Nigerian. Okra is a birthright.
If you've not eaten an African style Okra soup, you don't know what you're missing. Ask a Nigerian near you.
You can also toss them in a little oil and hot sauce, Franks, Texas Pete,Cholula etc and then just put them on the grill. Dont even need the skewers
Call me crazy but I kinda like the slime factor...
Indians have different methods, one of the tried and tested and tasts good is as follows: Slit the Okra on all 4 sides without slitting thru and thru such that when you look at it it looks whole. Make a paste of 1/2 tsp powders of cumin,chilli,mango and salt. Add about 1 tsp of olive oil to the paste and fill into the slits and rub on the outside as well. Keep aside for 1/2 hour. 2 ways of frying either fry as is or dip into a batter (pancake like consistency) of gram flour, salt and water and then fry.... so crunchy and yummy. You cannot go wrong if you need a side dish to spice up a meal. Enjoy.
Thanks Koyal, I'm trying this next time I find okra in the store (hard to grow here in New England, so sad)!
I love American Southern style okra recipes very much, but the Indian recipes I've tried have been even more delicious.
It's really heartwarming to see so many okra fans commenting. Usually when I bring up the topic, people can't stop talking about how much the dislike it. Sad, because it's really a wonderful vegetable!
Becky, you're welcome. I omitted a spice called "Chaat Masala" if you can find it (any Indian stores) do get it. In this recipe you can add about 1/2 tsp to the frying batter and you can also use it on salads. Chop Cucumber, tomato, boiled potato, canned garbanzo beans, olive oil, mix it and add about 1/2 tsp or to your taste.
Okra Pilaf: Sauteed okra, onion, green pepper and bacon tossed into a pot of rice and chicken stock. Let rice cook, reduce, serve with hot sauce!
Oh, and NO slime factor, everything gets soaked up nicely into the rice, but keeping the flavor
Wow, that does sound great!
Of course I'm better with bacon.
the slime doesn't bother me at all now; it just needs getting used to. just think it's good for ur body. it's delicious!!!
I had never eaten okra til I met my husband. we ate it many ways but he truly loved dill-pickled okra. We put them in 1\2 pint jars. Make just like regular dilled pickles, just use okra instead of cukes (whole ones)
If you don't have a grill, slice pods in half, place cut side up on roasting tray, spritz with olive oil and a dash of pepper and wood-smoke infused salt. Broil on high in oven for 10-15 min until well browned and delicious. Dried out and no slime! Very snackable! Grew up on a 50/50 corn meal/flour mix, cast iron skillet fried sliced okra and this is just as tasty and a much more healthy alternative.
Black eyed peas and okra, the slimier the better. Thanks mom, I love me some okra or almost any vegetable for that reason.
Fried is my favorite with pickled a close second. Either puts a fast halt to the slime. Local Kroger stores here in Texas carry Talk-o-Texas pickled okra - no fat and 5 calories per 2 pods. Great recipes online too. Gumbo works for me but not stewed. Yuck.
Even saw some in Chinese food once; must have come from southern China. Ha!
My garden is full of okra right now... too much to know what to do...
I recommend you read the other comments.
We get local (Texas) okra; it is ugly raw but cooks to a beautiful bright green. I trim the stems VERY short so I can detect and toss out any woody pods. Rinse the trimmed pods, place in a covered glass dish, and microwave for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt and eat with knife & fork.
look for a recipie of Bhindi (from India) and you will love it.
I love stewed okra and tomatoes...yummmmm
Stir fry with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic for a few minutes. Turn off heat. Sprinkle shredded parmesan on top and cover for a few minutes. Delicious and my kids love it.
I sauté sliced okra it in a non-stick pan with a bit of EVOO, diced onion, and diced Roma tomatoes. I season with fresh ground pepper and Herbamare. It never gets "snotty". Try it.
I sauté sliced okra it in a non-stick pan with a bit of EVOO, diced onion, and diced Roma tomatoes. I season with fresh ground pepper and Herbamare. It never gets "snotty" -Yummy.
Lightly steamed. Just clip off the stem above the ridge, exposing the first ring of seeds. Eat each one whole. Minimal slime, very delicious!
Very good if parboiled 2 or 3 minutes and eaten with soy sauce. Very good with beer as a snack.
I love okra any way it's cooked and nothing beats raw okra straight from the field. Use fresh tomatoes cooked with okra to cut the slime. Yum, yum!
I loved it sauteed whole with olive oil, salt (kosher or lawry's seasoning salt), and pepper. I believe cooking it whole is the key to no slime.
I love okra and tomatoes. Add some sausage and/or shrimp and serve over rice. Yum ! My mom makes the best okra and tomatoes and its not slimy. Slice the okra and lightly fry it (no batter) before adding the tomatoes and you won't get slime.
Fry/Saute it in a little bacon fat. Yum!
With flour or corn meal? Or just raw?
Conbine cornmeal and flour, little salt and pepper and fry. Can't wait to try it grilled.
And about a teaspoon of sugar will help it brown even better... :)
My poem, In Praise of Okra, was published by Edible Phoenix: http://www.ediblecommunities.com/phoenix/summer-2008/in-praise-of-okra.htm
I live in New England, but was born in Virginia. Spent a lot of time on Georgia and New Orleans growing up, so Okra reminds me of home.
Although, I love the flavor of okra, the "slime factor" is a turn-off. I'm with Mildred though, it's great in gumbo where the slime works (as a thickener?!) So I suppose gumbo is the way.
That's exactly right...the okra does work as a thickener.....
If you steam okra too long it will get slimmy. the best was to cook orka by it's self it under low fire. tea spoon of butte, seasoning, steam until tender and you won't get the slim effect. YMMMMMM !!!!
I might have to try the grilled okra method. I actually don't like fried okra, but that might be because there's so many factors that if you get one wrong you end up with slime.
I do like okra in gumbo, but the consistency of the dish works the slime issue out to it's advantage.
The trick to frying it is not to flip it a lot. I chop up the orca, cover with flour and then fry on medium heat covered with a lid. Cook for a few minutes and then turn over the orca. Turn or flip orca no more than three times and you will get no slime.
Grilled is great also!!
You mean okra? I'd hate to think you were frying up bits of Shamu. lol Just kidding w/ you Annie.
Wait a minute...I thought Gayle King and Stefan were the only ones who ate Okra?
Oh no, I love me some okra swimming in butter.
I'm with Paula. My granny would lightly saute whole pods just for me.
Other: in a large bowl of seafood gumbo. Yum!
Okra is an essential for gumbo.
@KajunKulo You're as unnecessary as your comment.
I love adding okra to any soup I make (or dump out of a can.)
It is a great soup thickner and the soup does not taste slimy, I've eaten it fried and it takes most of the slime away. this roasted technique sounds rather yummy i will give it a try
@bob – Roasted okra is amazing. We try to have "okra fries" weekly during the summer.