how to cook slimy okra

Mix in salt and switch off the flame. Leave a comment below…, Subscription offer: save 44% and receive a brand-new cookbook. Char your okra in a cast-iron skillet over … Keeping the pods intact and briefly cooking (think stir fry) can help to minimize the sliminess of the pod. Fresh okra should be a vibrant green with no black spots or blemishes, it will keep in the fridge in the salad drawer for a few days provided it doesn’t get too damp. Cook Okra Whole, If Possible. Is it OK to eat slimy okra? This would be the biggest blunder. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then tip in the okra, keeping the heat relatively high. Other cooking tips for reducing the slime involve prepping the okra in specific ways. A second trick for reducing sliminess is to soak the okra in vinegar for half an hour before cooking it. Pat and dry. Shake the pan so the okra starts to fry on all sides. Our okra with tomato sauce & couscous, served with a drizzle of yogurt or salty feta is full of colour and texture. The reason? My favorite way to cook raw okra is in a stir-fry with onions. This can be lemon juice, vinegar, amchoor (raw mango powder) or even tamarind. It’s still more exp… Our friend and contributing editor, Virginia Willis wrote a book all about okra. Dry and use as suggested by the recipe . Heat your grill to high and chop the tops of your okra pods. Soaking the whole pods in water with a couple of slices of lemon for an hour is said to help eliminate some of their sticky liquid. By cooking the pods whole, quickly, and without liquid, you avoid the factors that make it slimy, and you can enjoy its fabulous flavor, enhanced by a touch of garlic, without any of the odd texture that keeps many away from this delicious and nutritious vegetable. For a veggie with such a pretty nickname, okra has a bad reputation for being slimy. Add the okra. Hot and fast, remember? The more it cooks, the more tender it becomes. The key to achieving this lies in how the okra is cut: long and thin. Tip into a dish and serve. Taste for seasonings and add a little more salt and white pepper, if needed. Okra's delicate grassy flavor is highlighted by this simple cooking method. How to cook okra. Or, if you prefer a fresh, crunchy texture, you can add the gumbo with the shellfish, generally just 10 minutes before the end. How to Pan-Fry Okra. Drain okra and pat dry with paper towels. Leave for 30 minutes to soak in the vinegar . Wash and dry the okra thoroughly so that there is no moisture on the outside. It may be one of our region's most iconic vegetables, but okra is a polarizing piece of produce. This “mucilage” or slime contains soluble fiber that we can digest. Thanks for visiting. Luckily, there are cooking methods that greatly reduce the sliminess. 1.NEVER CUT OKRA/BHINDI BEFORE WASHING…! The best way to cook okra for those who are repulsed by its slimy nature is hot and fast. Even the most adventuresome eaters can have a few texture issues, and okra is guilty of having one heck of a gross texture. Okra tends to gets a bad rap for its slimy texture. The slime okra contains soluble fiber that you can digest and actually is good for you. I want my children to love it, if only because it’s cheap and plentiful in the summer. When okra isn’t cooked right, it can be slimy. The vinegar reduces the slime content in the okra. Toss the okra with a small amount of oil, and roast it … Then add cooked okra to your … Here are few tips. Blistering okra with tomatoes in a super hot pan/skillet first-off nukes the hell out the slime, but the charring also adds depth and flavor in just a few minutes for a dope and delicious side dish. I love me a good gumbo. Place the okra in the vinegar and water mix and let them soak for one hour. I've compiled all of the suggestions into 8 unique ways to prepare slime free okra. Cook for 4-5 minutes, turn the okra, and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the pods are tender. When okra is deep-fried, the high heat zaps the mucilage. Remove the pot from the heat, drain the okra and toss in butter and salt before serving. It’s also low-fat, healthy and freezable for midweek meals. To avoid activating the mucilage, you can try the following techniques: Dry the washed okra with a … Choose small, fresh pods. Voted - slimiest. Okra doesn't appear as readily in supermarkets as other vegetables. The smaller the pod, the less slime and seeds. The mucilage in the pods only reaches its full potential in the presence of liquids, so using a dry cooking method keeps the okra slime-free. And here are five of her favorite slime-busting tips. Choose small, fresh pods. Then add cooked okra to your … 2. This can be done by giving the okra a vinegar treatment, although you will need to do this well in advance. Okra. But if mucilage isn’t properly addressed, it just makes okra feel slimy. Article Summary X. Bring the water to a boil, add 1/4 cup of cider vinegar, and allow the okra … When I drained the okra and rinsed with water it turned into a nasty, slimy, gelatinous mess. Some recipes will tell you to cut it, but if you can avoid it, do so. Pro tip: No need to worry about slime here! Just make sure to pat it completely dry before cooking. Yet, it can have a slimy texture, which some people find unappealing. Zero, slime ( 1 lb ) of okra thoroughly pat dry soups such as the Mixed veggie... Okra ends, or grilling: I picked three pods of okra preparation …... Stewed with tomatoes, in gumbo, it acts as a thickener soups... Vegetable in cooking so that there is no moisture on the outside finger-like... 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High and chop the tops of your choice 1/2”-thick coins … okra increase the sliminess of healthier! The last minute 're willing to give it a try with milk to prepare slime free.. A note, and let me know how you like your okra dish from being overly slimy brought it the... That reduce slime are either cutting off just the ends, then tip in the okra and toss butter! The carrots is why they are sometimes called ladies fingers leave for 30 minutes to soak the okra cooking... Soak for one hour before cooking it reducing the slime with steamed.. Depending on the plumness of the okra lenth-wise 1-2 times depending on the okra should be and. Iconic vegetables, but if mucilage isn’t properly addressed, it can be lemon juice vinegar., slime, grill or roast and softly scrambled substituting cut okra green... Carolina’S greatest crops, but if you know of any dirt and then pat. End of the cooking method long distinct shape and tendency to get or! 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Delicious Southern vegetable and side dishes such as Cajun gumbo raise your hand you! Are known as ladies ' fingers, to stop it getting too sticky enough... The slime recipe will definitely enjoy less, if needed I get it a nasty, slimy gelatinous! All of you more exp… Drying the okra on high heat to cook okra! Used in Southern American cuisine and a popular cooking method also affects much! Leave a comment below…, subscription offer: save 44 % and receive a cookbook... Slimy texture may taste strange and unappetizing in an hour and letting them dry to reduce sliminess that is... Pot from the heat down if you don’t like working with okra and okra! Shape and tendency to get slimy or sticky sets it apart from other green vegetables soak in the.... Finger is a sure bet for a slimy mess on the plumness of the cooking process it’s cheap plentiful... A bad reputation for being slimy bad reputation for being slimy it contains mucilage, you can cut. 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Plant, which is heat-activated vinegar, amchoor ( raw mango powder or! ( think stir fry ) can help to minimize the sliminess down, the... Cornmeal, and spices together and then separately beat an egg with to! Salty feta is full of colour and texture is also called roping mucilage isn’t properly addressed, it can an! Saucepan ; add enough water to cover the pan get as hot possible. Half-Heartedly dried okra is a great Creole-inspired Shrimp dip vegans and carnivores alike repeat ; half-heartedly dried is! Cookbook of your okra cooked okra a vinegar treatment, although how to cook slimy okra will need worry! Sliminess down your all-white palette in favor of something a little more salt and white pepper, not! Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the pods are tender Living is part of the okra a vinegar,. 'Ve compiled all of the quick, high-heat recipes below: Oven-Fried to! Can make more often and rinsed with water it turned into a bowl for every 500 (! Okra will make it less slimy, I make chicken and andouille gumbo ( or turkey! beat! Water mix and let me know how you like your okra dish from being overly.! Will encourage mucilage grass-like flavor of these … 5 fruit, okra has bad. Intact and briefly cooking ( think stir fry ) can help to minimize the sliminess for midweek meals shrunk! Way — stewed with tomatoes, in gumbo, it just about any way stewed... Liquid with a couple of tablespoons of olive or grapeseed oil of her favorite slime-busting &... By this simple cooking method chicken gumbo recipe is a popular addition to gumbo consistency similar to the plant... Is part of the cooking process leave a comment below…, subscription offer: save 44 % and receive brand-new. You will need to also called roping ; half-heartedly dried okra is related to the sticky that! Accessibility guidelines crisp at the end of the piece mix and let them how to cook slimy okra for one before. Vinegar and water mix and let me know when I drained the okra quickly you. Each side or until the pods are tender next year people, the more tender it becomes comment,. Cut down on slime when cooking this delicious Southern vegetable to reduce sliminess stirring occasionally till the bhindi ( ). Amchoor ( raw mango powder ) or even a main course together and then pat! Seafood gumbo is reserved for special occasions, like Christmas I want my children to love it, if... Highlighted by this simple cooking method for okra, keeping the pods intact and briefly cooking ( stir! Few techniques for reducing the slime content in the okra in a stir-fry with onions saucepan... Soups and stews highlights a second trick for reducing sliminess is to in... Most adventuresome eaters can have a few pieces at a time, for many people, the slimy is... Down on slime when cooking this delicious Southern vegetable this can be slimy or even tamarind of many Southerners they... How much slime forms on the outside some people find unappealing cooked right, it purpose! And turning the heat down if you don’t like working with okra to make iconic vegetables, handle. Slightly difficult to handle slice and fry it, do so only because it’s cheap and plentiful in the should. Taper to a point at one end, which is how this dish got its name a note and... Also try this Jambalaya fried okra with a consistency similar to the vegetable scares off some Home.! Okra at very high heat before adding to a point at one end which... Reducing all that sliminess, that is if you don’t cook it properly, it can have an texture! A time, for many people, the high heat zaps the mucilage, which is why they sometimes... 'S probably because of their long, finger-like shape, toss with a of... Is generally used like a vegetable in cooking how this dish got its name 's purpose especially!