OKRA - any one know how??

Question

Do you cook and eat okra withthe seeds in?

Answer 1

I've never removed the seeds. I don't see the point. Thats half your vegetable in the bin!

The simplest method is to strir fry them with whatever you're comfortable with. Think of them as beans or snowpeas or sugarsnap peas, but I would avoid boiling or steaming them.

The general rule is not to add any water or over cook them because they become 'slimey'. They cook quickly so I stirfry them with beans, asparagus, thin strips of meat and other things with short cooking times.

A good trick to reduce any 'slimeness' is to let them dry before cooking. I wash, top and tail them, then cut them in half. I then blot excess moisture off them, spread them out on paper towels and leave them on the bench for 3-4 hours so the natural juices that cause the 'sliminess' dry up a little. Usually I do this in the morning so they're ready by the time I start making dinner.

For cooking, I cook my strips of meat in a little hot oil then add the okra and other veges. I stir fry them for 5-8 minutes with asian sauces like Black bean and garlic, Oyster or good old soya sauce. If I'm using soya I occasionally add curry powder for a bit of kick. I add salt (or more soya) to taste if needed and a little sugar to balance.

So really they're beans that you shouldn't boil, steam or cook with water and that you should leave to dry a little - that is unless you don't mind the slimey texture.

Answer 2

By all means, leave the seeds in the okra!

If you're deep-frying it, just cut off the very top (the stem end), and bread & fry whatever way you like. Basically, the only part of the okra you don't want to eat is the stem.

For uses in stews, or soups (like the traditional gumbo), again cut off the stem. Depending on the size of the okra, you can either leave it whole, or cut it up lengthwise into "rings".

To help cut down on the "slime", soak the cut okra in about a quart of water, with a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar added. After it's soaked for 20-30 minutes, drain the okra and put it on a cookie sheet. Put it in a warm oven (around 200 degrees...it doesn't have to be exact) for 30 minutes. The idea is to dry it out. Then you can use the okra immediately, or keep it in the fridge (in a ziplock bag) until you're ready to make your gumbo.

Answer 3

You don't need to take the seeds out to cook okra, but do trim the tops a little. In Indian restaurants in the UK they often serve okra sliced into little rounds and sauteed with spices - very tasty. Not everyone likes the texture though, when they are only lightly cooked in that way as they tend to be a little crunchy and then the centre is a bit gooey. If you don't like the sound of that, use them in a stew Moroccan/Persian style or in Creole/Cajun gumbo where they are cooked for longer. What happens then is that the inner gooey part (mucilage) is released and mixes in with the stock or sauce and helps to thicken it. So although Cajun cooks like to use flour for the roux in a gumbo, that's partly for colour and sometimes it's the okra that does the real job of thickening. Hope you enjoy your okra, however you decide to use it!

Answer 4

best recipe;

Southern Fried Okra

1 pound fresh okra
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
Wash and slice okra; pat dry with paper towels.
Combine eggs and buttermilk; add okra, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and pepper.
Drain okra, small portions at a time, using a slotted spoon.
Dredge okra, small portions at a time, in flour mixture.
Pour oil to depth of 2 to 3-inches in a Dutch oven of deep-fat fryer and heat to 375*F (190*C). Fry okra until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.

Answer 5

With the seed in it........

Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours, 0 minutes
Ready In: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Most people now realize that okra and the word "gumbo", which means okra in some parts of Africa, mean the same thing. Not to be confused with the gumbo type soup that Cajuns have become well-known for. So this means that you can make a gumbo of gumbo. Have you confused? That is ok...what I will give you here is an easy way and non-tiring way to cook okra and then to make an okra gumbo.

Ingredients
3 one pound bags of cut okra 2 tbsp canola oil (my preference although any oil will do)
1 can Rotel Brand tomatoes 1 cut up yellow onion
1 cut up bell pepper Gumbo Fixings
1 package of 6 chicken breast (or more) 1 pound shrimp (optional)
4 to 6 boiled eggs 2 tbsp dry or wet roux (optional)
2 tbsp Wylers chicken granules (optional) salt to taste
black pepper to taste


Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Defrost the frozen okra in a microwave or at room temperature. In a large Magnalite pot or Dutch oven (need cover), spray with Pam or add the oil. On the stovetop add the okra, the chopped onion and bell pepper and the can of Rotel. Stir and heat until the pot is warm. This is done to speed the cooking process. Cover the pot and place in the preheated oven. Set your timer for 1 hour. Take out and stir thoroughly. Repeat this step at 1/2 hour intervals. After two hours you can judge if you need to cook longer. Do so by continuing the step.

Editor's Note - What I like to do is cook this dish in the late evening I cook it for two hours and then turn off my oven and leave it in the oven until the next morning. The heat left in the oven will continue to smother ("cook it down") the okra. No need to stir. At this point it will look just like you remember Momma's smothered okra. Boil your eggs at any time. After your okra is cooked by whichever method, fill your gumbo pot with 5 quarts of water (more or less), add the cooked okra directly to your water, along with the chicken granules and the optional roux. I like to add the roux for extra flavor. The old cooks never added roux to this gumbo; so if you do not have roux, no problem.

Cook over medium to high heat until the gumbo boils. Add the chicken and continue cooking for 45 minutes to an hour. You may need to add water to your base. In the last ten minutes of cooking, season to taste and add the shrimp and boiled eggs all of which is optional. You can put anything you like in a gumbo. The original meat in the old time version of this dish was only shrimp and egg. Serve over rice and enjoy. Remember the French bread to soak up the juices.

Answer 6

Sure - good fiber too. If you leave the okra whole the seeds will stay in, but if you cut it up they tend to fall out along with a gooey substance. If you want a thicker, stew-like consistency, cut the okra into pieces - otherwise leave it whole. BTW, okra is good mixed with tomatoes.

Answer 7

Okra is amazingly healthy.Here's a good recipe:
In a pan, heat oil & add cumin seeds.
Add the cut okra and fry till they've shrunk.
{You can even add cubed steamed potatoes at this point.}
Sprinkle salt,cayenne pepper,paprika and maybe two spoonfuls of tomato paste.Garnish with cilantro.

Have this with tortillas or with rice.

Answer 8

The Lebanese way is nice but I prefer it Vegetarian Lebanese like this...YUM the best.. first garlic and corriander liquidised in a food processor then fry with pepper and add get fresh ripe tomatoes (or tinned if you're lazy) then pop in the oven for 30mins...Luuush!

Answer 9

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_34644,00.html?rsrc=search

Link to Alton Brown's recipes for okra.

I prefer okra w/ the seeds & these recipes are good ones.

Answer 10

Yes. I like them fried in a bit of oil with some garlic and onion, salt and pepper.