All About Okra!
Okra, believe it or not, is one of my favorite vegetables. I’ve always eaten it the way my family prepares it though, and except for some delicious gumbo I tried in college, I had very little knowledge of all of the ways it can be prepared.
Okra gets a bad reputation at times, likely because unless tamed properly, it can be pretty slimy which isn’t everyone’s cup of chai. As a kid, plenty of my fellow Indian American friends hated okra. Usually it was a texture related aversion having to do with slime. But my grandmother’s recipe has converted many people in my life to enjoy okra because it cuts the slime.
There are some tasty okra dishes out there that are meant to have some slime, but if you can learn how to tame the sliminess, it opens up more possibilities of what okra can be. A vegetable rich in nutrients, antioxidants and health benefits – not to mention TASTE, is worth pursuing. If you’re looking to explore cooking with this delicious vegetable, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got four amazing recipes to share with you.
When I first met friend Tanorria from Tanorria’s Table, I was really excited to learn that we shared a love for okra. Chef Tanorria specializes in delicious Southern cooking and American Comfort Food, and it was such a treat to try her delicious Southern Fried Okra and Corn & Okra Succotash recipes! We made some many interesting discoveries while cooking together. For example we both traditionally use different varieties of okra. South Asian style okra, or desi bhinda, is smaller and skinner than many larger American varieties.
I’ve learned so much from Tanorria about ways to prepare okra and new ways to cut out slime. It’s been fun to see the similarities and overlap in our tips and tricks. For example, soaking cut pieces in buttermilk vs. stirring in a bit of yogurt right before serving, and using acidic cooking liquid like vinegar or citrus to cut out slime and bring out the bright green color.
My contributions included my Nani’s Bhinda shaak, which was always my favorite growing up. It’s perfect scooped up with a piece naan or rotli. The flavors of cayenne, turmeric, cumin and coriander come together perfectly with a drizzle of lime to really enhance okra’s natural deliciousness. Bhinda Bajia on the other hand is deep fried with a chickpea flour and masala based batter, the okra are kept long and are fried until golden brown.
I absolutely loved both of Tanorria’s dishes that I had the privilege to taste. The corn, tomatoes and okra together made her succotash so colorful with an amazing flavor to match. I couldn’t stop thinking about it the next day and was really happy to have leftovers. Her fried okra recipe is just the right amount of crispy, and I could not stop popping them in my mouth like popcorn!
I hope this post has encouraged you to give okra another try if it’s not your favorite, and if you share our love for this delicious vegetable, I hope you’re inspired to explore some of our recipes. Click to join my e-mail list to get your free infographic on how to prepare okra perfectly every time!