I've never cooked with okra before and these dishes sound great! Any other recipes you all have tried? moderator's note: Moved to a topic of it's own and a more appropriate forum
There are many recipes for using okra that I know of and they're usually Asian cuisine. I'm not sure how you'll take to that. However, the simplest one I can think off is steaming or boiling the okra and making a salty, tangy chili sauce to dip the okra into. you might also want to try it with some chinese shrimp paste. it's delish!
Growing up in the south, Okra was a staple food in the summer. My dad liked it boiled, one of my chores was washing dishes and I hate cleaning out those slimy pans. We always had fried Okra. Cut off the caps, slice the pods into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. Toss in beaten egg, throw in a paper bag with cornmeal, shake to coat. Then pan fry in about an inch of hot veggie oil...my personal favorite. Also, you can boil them whole until tender, cut off the cap and slice them as mentioned above. Add to a pot with a can of stewed tomatoes and cook slowly until the Okra is very tender...another personal favorites. There is also a tradition stew in Louisiana called Gumbo that includes slices of Okra.
I grew okra for the first time this year. It seemed like if I didn't pick them when they were small and tender, they were too woody to eat. Toni, the slow cooked method you mentioned -- does that work with the larger or older pods that have gotten a bit tough? My favorite way to cook them this year was just to saute with some infused olive oil and herbs and whatever other veggies were available. Yum. Next year I'm going to grow more.
A bit tough is one thing and there is a fine line between still edible though a little tough and time to throw them out. Once they are tough they don't soften up in cooking. Okra is a heavy, fast producer so a few well producing plants is easier to keep up with than having several like you would tomatoes, corn or beans. You can blanch them and freeze them for later use in stews or boiled if you have more than you can eat.
Thanks Toni, that's helpful info. I really enjoyed my okra this year, but did wind up not eating a fair amount because it got tough or grew so fast, I missed the oportune time to pick it. Blanching and freezing the extras would help. I thought the plant itself was very pretty too.
Okra is related Cotton, Hibiscus, Hollyhock and other Malva's and produce similar blooms so they do make a good garden plant with pretty blooms
Okra can be frozen in several ways to be used for the winter months. My favorite method is to wash and slice the okra. Shake in cornmeal as if you were going to fry it. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven; let cool and place in containers or bags to freeze. The okra remains dry, and will not stick together when taken from the freezer to fry. Add salt and pepper when ready to fry. I prefer frying in a skillet for a richer flavor.
Using Okra in gumbo is also good. I like Gumbo with chicken- I can't eat pork or seafood.. But I guess if you liked those, then you could add them in your gumbo. There's always pickled okra. I like mine spicy! I would share recipes with you, but I don't have any. :/ I also love okra fried... And the chili paste thing sounds good. You can buy garlic chili sauce at Asian stores, if you have one in your area, or online at hmart, koamart, AsianFoodGrocer or something like that... Probably even Amazon. (I don't work for and am not affiliated with any of those companies, I just shop there).. Okie dokie, take care. Hope I helped even a little bit.
Healthier alternative to fried okra Now that was interesting! Okra is related to cotton and hibiscus! I could eat my weight in fried okra, but in the interest of keeping that weight at a level that fits my clothes, I've been oven-frying it for years. Turns out crispy and delicious. Add an egg or two to your chopped okra, stir it around. Pour in some plain ole corn meal (or seasoned fish fry, my favorite) and mix until coated. Spritz a little olive oil on a cookie sheet lined with foil so you won't have to scrub and pour it in. Bake at 400 until it's brown and crispy--30-40 minutes.
OMG I've never heard of baking it fried. I lived in the deep south all my life. thats a new one me.(and my mother was a Le Doux - real cajun) but I'll be doing that way next batch I get from my dad. less fat and less mess you bet I'm in for it too. I'm so gald I meet yall.
I have never tried the oven fried but I will now. All I do to freeze okra is wipe off or wash and let dry and bag it whole. To cook just let it thaw about 5 minutes and slice for fried okra. No slime that way. I have been doing it that way for years.
Mart, you don't have to blanch it or anything? When freezing anything, don't you have to blanch it to throw it in some boiling water first to kill off any ick? And about that oven-fried okra...it's not the fried okra I grew up with, but it's not bad. If I ate the food I grew up with I'd weigh 500 lbs.
Re: Healthier alternative to fried okra This is a good sounding recipe. I am growing okra and I hate it boiled, nor do I want to fry it. Thanks for the tip!
