Okra?

[cristeen]

Just looked at the listing for this week's CSA box, and it seems I'll be getting about a pound of okra. I've never eaten okra in my life, and have no idea how to prepare it. I know it's mucilagenous when it's overcooked, but that's all I know...

What can you tell me about it? How do you like to cook it?

[maple_mama]

The only memory I have of eating okra one time as a child was that it was slimy!

My husband sometimes gets a kick out of buying random fruits/veggies at the market that we don't normally eat, and last year he bought some fresh okra. I looked up a few recipes and decided to roast it. I think I heat the oven to 400 or so, coat the whole okra (stem and all) with a little olive oil and salt and pepper if you like, then put it on a baking sheet or stone and cook it in the oven for 15 or 20 minutes. It comes out crunchy and very tasty, and not at all slimy! We now eat it like this whenever we have it, and our 2 y.o. and 4 y.o. will also eat it this way. Yum!

[Jojo F.]

We like it in breading and fried. You can cut it up and add it to soups. The sliminess acts as a thickener.

[noobmom]

Traditional uses would be for fried okra or as a thickener in gumbo. But I like my okra stir-fried. I guess maybe it's a little slimy that way, but not really. Sometimes I toss it with olive oil, cornmeal and spices and bake it in the oven for something similar to fried okra, but it usually tastes more like the cornemeal than okra that way.

[Jasminelove]

Originally Posted by cristeen

Just looked at the listing for this week's CSA box, and it seems I'll be getting about a pound of okra. I've never eaten okra in my life, and have no idea how to prepare it. I know it's mucilagenous when it's overcooked, but that's all I know...

What can you tell me about it? How do you like to cook it?

I just got some from the garden and cut it (so it's little circles) and added it to my veg. chili. I can't really taste it but it looks pretty. My hubby said he doesn't like it, but he's only had it the way his mom makes it: slice length wise, soak in egg/milk mixure, roll in flour and fry.

I think I'll to do olive oil, oven, cruchy method. Sounds good.:

got this from everynutrient.com
Okra is commonly used in Southern, Creole, and Cajun cooking. This is due to the
fact that it was initially introduced into the United States in its southern region. Since
there is little frost in the southern region, okra grows well there.

Okra is low in calories and is a good source of many nutrients including vitamin B6 and
C, fiber, calcium, and folic acid. It is effective for the prevention of neural tube defects
in developing fetuses mainly due to its high content of vitamin B6, calcium, fiber, and
folic acid.

[crunchy_mama]

it is only served around here breaded and fried to me it is too slimy otherwise but it would depend on taste. I don't ever make it as breading is trickier grainfree and it hasn't been worth it. It is yummy breaded though as the crunchy outside covers up the slime.

[snoodess]

The most delicious okra I have ever had was an Indian okra curry. Not slimy at all and so delicious I still dream about it.

This recipe looks like a pretty good version. If you don't do spicy this one might be good if you omit the peppers or replace with more mild ones. I'm jealous, our CSA stopped planting okra this year.

[BetsyS]

My favorites are okra and tomatoes over rice and gumbo.

But, I also like fried (of course!), pickled, stir fried, and roasted. Last year, I made sushi from the roasted okra that turned out really well. I made it into sushi rolls, and it was pretty when it was cut.

[farmerjess]

The slime goes away if you slice it and put it into a hot cast iron without any oil till it gets brown on the inner edges. So, I usually start this way and then add the fat, onions, other veggies, etc.

[mumkimum]

I second looking up indian okra recipes. They're awesome, and they do a lot of different things with okra.

I've had it in corn chowders too.

[inkslinger]

We grow okra and we love it! We like it fried, pickled, and in gumbo especially!

[vulnerable]

Originally Posted by BetsyS

My favorites are okra and tomatoes over rice and gumbo.

:

I also eat it fried, and add it to soups to thicken the sauce.

[peaceful_mama]

Google "Sudanese recipes"

DH is from Sudan and makes an okra stew--yes, the "sliminess" acts as a thickener and it is actaully really good.

I know I saw the actual recipe for this one night when I googled "Sudanese cookies" to try to find the recipe for his aunt's traditional cookies (something like a shortbread, the cookie part isn't real sweet, contains pistachio, coated in powdered sugar--did NOT find that recipe. )

anyway I did not actually write down the recipe since DH makes it so well, LOL. Okra is one of his favorite foods. This stew he makes was DD's favorite food as a baby too, she's now 2 and still likes it. DS2 has had it once and liked it. It all ends up soft and easy for them to eat.

LOL when I first saw okra, I was probably 24 years old, and it was in a soup a friend's DH made--whole pieces of it, not broken at all. I leaned over to my friend and whispered "so, are those peppers, like, really hot?" She cracked up....then the other about 8 people in the room of course had to know what was so funny.....so she told them....okra is now called "Salma peppers" in our house in honor of that.....

[crunchy_mama]

Now I am intrigued we love curry will have to try that out!

[YinYang]

Originally Posted by snoodess

The most delicious okra I have ever had was an Indian okra curry. Not slimy at all and so delicious I still dream about it.

This recipe looks like a pretty good version. If you don't do spicy this one might be good if you omit the peppers or replace with more mild ones. I'm jealous, our CSA stopped planting okra this year.

Ohh myyyyyy gooossshhhhh I made the first link Okra curry tonight - absolutely DELICIOUS. It will now be in my weekly meal planning. Seriously I ate almost the entire amount tonight - and completely guiltless. LOVE LOVE it - thanks so much! :

[elfimka]

I made this dirty dirty rice for dinner a few nights ago with okra, oh it was delicious!