328033 Fri Sep 22 14:34:30 -0700 2006 25 31 Home Cooking 0 1894650 i have been on this late summer okra jag, but my repertoire's pretty small. made it once curried with yogurt, once with a chicken curry, and once with bacon and tomatoes and onions, cajun style. what do you guys do with these slimy pods? Fri Sep 22 14:34:30 -0700 2006 26178 geryon 1 1894691 Hey - I just made three jars of pickled okra that came out great. I posted about what to do with them... http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/327250 You could make a traditional gumbo with yours, or fry 'em with a cornmeal coating.... Fri Sep 22 14:48:02 -0700 2006 1894650 14762 dee lannon 1 1894910 My favorite thing to do with okra is take pictures: http://www.chezpei.com/2006/09/okra.html BUT, my SO loves them so I do indeed have to cook them. The last thing we did was put them in a lamb stew. I simmered large chunks of lamb shoulder in water until they were tender but not falling apart. I added a can of tomatoes, one diced onion, half a bulb of crushed garlic, some spices (I actually forget: thyme, oregano, parsley?), a little tumeric, paprika, plenty of pepper, and a pound and a half of sliced okra. I let that cook until the okra was just starting to get soft, then threw in a half dozen very small potatoes. I salted the stew at this point, and cooked until the potatoes were done. By the time I was done, the okra and lamb were both fall apart tender, which is how I prefer it. If you like a more held together product, throw the potatoes in when you throw in the okra and you'll decrease the total cooking time. Fri Sep 22 16:00:54 -0700 2006 1894650 11577 Pei 2 1895612 Pei, your photos of the okra are stunning, especially the sliced okra. A number of years back, I did a whole series of vegetable garden photos, and the okra was one of my favorites-- the flowers are a waxy cream color, with a purple center, large and shaped like a Rose of Sharon, only much more exquisite. This was way before digital cameras, or I'd post one. Fri Sep 22 19:41:30 -0700 2006 1894910 14063 Anne H 1 1894984 Fried okra is the best. Southern Living has the best method- toss the okra in whipped egg whites (stiff peaks), then a bread crumb mixture. Deep fry in a cast iron skillet til golden, sprinkle with salt & pepper & serve immediately. I made these for a "southern supper" dinner party & these were the appetizers. It was the hit of the night. Fri Sep 22 16:23:21 -0700 2006 1894650 39085 tall sarah 2 1895022 Mmmm. Sounds great. Never used whipped egg whites will have to try that, pronto. Did you serve them sliced, Southern-style, or whole to make it a finger-food appetizer? Fri Sep 22 16:33:18 -0700 2006 1894984 10191 Kishari 3 1895142 Whipped egg whites are fantastic for deep frying batter. It makes the batter incredibly light and fluffy. Fri Sep 22 17:07:47 -0700 2006 1895022 11577 Pei 3 1930550 We served them sliced, southern style. I was in Malaysia last year & in some pretty locals only restaurants. One of my favorite dishes served was a stir fry of shrimp and lady fingers- their much nicer name for whole pod okra! Oddly, Malaysian food reminds me a lot of Southern cooking. Sun Oct 08 02:00:30 -0700 2006 1895022 39085 tall sarah 1 1895622 There's a recipe I was just looking at in Sept Cooking Light, for grilled okra. Put whole okra pods on a skewer with onion slices and cherry tomatoes, brush with oil/salt/pepper/garlic, and grill. I haven't tried it, but it looks great in the photo. Fri Sep 22 19:44:35 -0700 2006 1894650 14063 Anne H 1 1895719 Cornmeal, salt and pepper, a skillet with just a little hot grease - lay the little rings flat all over the bottom of the pan, and as they brown, turn them over individually until they are all crispy. Takes awhile, but that's how my mother did it. No slime. Fri Sep 22 20:21:55 -0700 2006 1894650 10580 Betty 2 1895882 So the cornmeal sticks to the okra because of the natural sliminess? Fri Sep 22 21:25:58 -0700 2006 1895719 11577 Pei 2 4899080 My mom still makes it like this. A couple of times a week lately, as fresh, local okra's in season. Delicious, and lighter than batter-coated. Okra's great in fresh vegetable soup too. It naturally thickens the soup a bit (like it does in gumbo), plus I just love the taste of it. I also like okra fritters. Tue Jul 28 21:19:40 -0700 2009 1895719 81822 Old Spice 1 1895990 If you like spicy food, this is an easy stir-fry recipe that will convert anyone into an okra lover: slice okra about 1/2" thick on a diagonal, and quickly stir fry with garlic, ginger and sliced fresh hot chilies -- when it is just softening, sprinkle with a little sugar and a good squeeze of lime juice. The stickiness of the okra will just be coming out at this point in cooking, and combines with the bit of sugar and the lime juice to make a light sauce. A little fish or soy sauce is good to add, if you like that flavor. Fri Sep 22 22:10:23 -0700 2006 1894650 11574 Terrie H. 2 4894016 Just reporting back that I made your stir-fried okra, and it was delicious! Easy too. I used garlic, ginger, sliced spicy red Padron peppers, a bit of sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce. I made a big batch to have for lunches during the week, but it was so good I ate the whole thing for dinner. Will definitely be adding this to my favorite okra recipes. Thanks again! Mon Jul 27 10:03:42 -0700 2009 1895990 10271 Rubee 1 1896272 I have been putting cut up okra in stews to thicken them. After long cooking times, they practically disappeared as did tomatillos but oh my were they good along with such ingredients as chicken stock, tomatoes, peppers, onions, meat or chicken and whatever type of spices suit your fancy (some days its thia curry, some days its actually red or green mole, some days its herb de provance). Okra made that way always confounds my wife who hates okra prepared any other way because she can't tell it's there and loves the taste. Sat Sep 23 00:27:21 -0700 2006 1894650 23583 EclecticEater 1 1896343 I oven roast the whole pods - either sprayed with oil and seasoned with s & p, or coated in egg and breadcrumbs. It's a great sidedish with sandwiches, or whatever you serve fries with. Sat Sep 23 01:13:00 -0700 2006 1894650 10681 piccola 1 1896687 I just steam them till tender, then dip the slimy suckers in a mixture of soy and rice vinegar. My sister and I used to eat this as a snack all the time. Sat Sep 23 05:55:19 -0700 2006 1894650 22596 rumgum 1 4896295 here are some indian okra ideas, including a recipe i found for stuffed okra that looks terrific: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/586773 Tue Jul 28 05:25:02 -0700 2009 1894650 105717 alkapal 1 4896333 My favorite way is the way my Armenian grandmother made it, called Bamiya. Sauté 2 medium onions sliced in very small amount of olive oil until they turn translucent. Add 1 1/2 cups veggie or chicken broth, 1/4 cup tomato paste, salt. Bring to boil. Add lemon juice (1/2 a lemon) and okra (4 or 5 cups of baby okra). Arrange about 20 dried apricots on top of all this. Simmer for one hour. I like to serve this with rice pilaf. Tue Jul 28 05:48:39 -0700 2009 1894650 11222 Infomaniac 1 4896367 Sliced, salt/peppered, meal and fry...Pan or deep. Okra Gumbo....or any Gumbo really. Okra and Tomatoes...... Soup....... Boiled/Simmered whole pods...serve with vegetables...... Tue Jul 28 06:02:00 -0700 2009 1894650 65057 Uncle Bob 1 4897330 Recently made some spicy fried okra with fresh red and green okra from Seacat Gardens at the local farmers market. The first time E said he actually would eat okra again. Soaked in a little milk, and then tossed with 1/2 cup AP flour 1/4 cup semolina flour Cayenne pepper Aleppo pepper Penzey's shallot salt Served it with a sour cream, lime, and cilanro dipping sauce. Tue Jul 28 11:00:09 -0700 2009 1894650 10271 Rubee 2 4898820 rubee, great job -- interesting dip, too! Tue Jul 28 19:23:09 -0700 2009 4897330 105717 alkapal 1 4897887 Being a southener, I like fried okra, but my mom taught me a trick that's worth passing on. Instead of cutting the okra in itsy,bitsy rings and standing there over the skillet until you are hot and grouchy, slice the pods LONG-WAYS, then use whatever batter you like or just use cornmeal with salt and pepper. You get much more in the mouth-to-bite ratio, since the pieces are larger; easier to turn; and quicker cooking. See what you think. Tue Jul 28 13:46:03 -0700 2009 1894650 12094 amazinc 2 4898816 amazinc, that's a neat idea! Tue Jul 28 19:22:33 -0700 2009 4897887 105717 alkapal 1 4898836 My okra never comes out slimy. Lately I have been stuffing either with seasoned toasted chickpea flour or with "tawa masala" which is just coriander, fennel seeds, red chile flakes, and dried mango powder. I love stuffed okra! Tue Jul 28 19:29:14 -0700 2009 1894650 118120 luckyfatima 2 4931652 You know what's crazy - I've tried all kinds of preparations because I have an abundance in my CSA box at times....went to a party where someone grilled them and it was extremely surprisingly tasty. It was so counter intuitive to me. 1) Toss fresh asparagus in a liberal amt of sea salt, black pepper, and olive oil 2) Throw on the grill for just a few minutes each side (you can use skewers to make it easy). DO NOT brown them at all/overcook. The should still be totally green, but temperature hot. I dare you to try it and report back! People who don't normally like okra actually like it this way. Sun Aug 09 17:38:09 -0700 2009 4898836 17648 rudeboy