Okra. No Idea How To Cook 'em Still Don't

[gogoblender 3,077]

I often times buy (what I call) second-hand vegetables down at the local Chinese Grocery store. They have these buckety bins at the back, full of strange, exotic and sometimes recognizable produce that I'll pick up because it's so cheap (usually only a buck an assortment), is so high in fibre and benefits me from the walk

 

This time...Okra! Course, I have no idea how to cook the thjings. I kind of remember my mom trying to force it on me when I was a kid. I also kinda remember flushing a lot of articles down the toilet during dinner 'cuz my parents' taste in food was, to put it mildly, exotic^^

 

The sliminess of Okra, it's almost unpalatable outside, like something out of a horror movie. I don't know what made me get it, perhaps some kind of homage to my memories or another attempt at being heroic. After a few minutes of quick searching on the net, I gave up and threw it into a tomato/beef stew.

 

Turned out...beh

 

But I did like the colors

 

 

Picasso on a plate?

 

 

gogo

[wolfie2kX 528]

Okra isn't all that exotic. It's a staple in the deep south of the US. It can be done any number of ways...

 

1.) In stews like Gumbo

2.) Deep Fried

3.) Stir fried along with other veggies

4.) It can be pickled like cucumbers

 

The list goes on...

 

There's 183 odd recipies available on Food Network:

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=okra&fnSearchType=site

[Furian67 15]

Next time cut the ends off the okra and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Then when you can get some shimp or crab on sale Try this:

 

Gumbo!

 

by Mom!

 

 

For shrimp and okra gumbo:

• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• l large chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 5 or 6 cloves, chopped garlic
• 1 cup of chopped green pepper
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 can of tomatoes ("Rotel" tomatoes for a spicier taste!)
• 1 pound, fresh sliced okra (or 2 boxes of frozen sliced okra)
• 2 pounds of fresh shrimp
  
• 2 - 3 cups water
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 1 bay leaf

For seafood gumbo, add to the above:

• 1 small can of crabmeat or 3 fresh gumbo crabs
• 1 jar oysters

• Slowly stir the flour into heated oil in a heavy cast iron skillet. Continue to stir until the flour is dark brown. Add the next 4 ingredients; stir until onions are clear.
• Add tomato sauce. Stir until it gets crumbly or dry. Fry okra in another skillet until it is no longer sticky or stringy. Add tomatoes and fried okra.
• Cook slowly, adding 2 to 3 cups of water--a little at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in one teaspoon of sugar.
• Cook for about an hour on a low fire, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of pot; adding water if necessary. Add the shrimp and the bay leaf (and if desired, the oysters and crabmeat).
• Cook another 30 minutes to an hour, adding seasoning to taste.
• Serve over boiled or steamed rice.

Enjoy the taste of New Orleans!

This will warm ya up after shoveling all that snow.

Edited December 15, 2010 by Furian67

[chattius 2,538]

I don't know if it are the same, a turkish friend gave me a bucket full around 3 years back in exchange for some fruits I grow in garden. At least they look the same. In germany you find them mainly in shops for turkish people. We did a lot of experiments (forgot to ask what to do with them), cooking in water and they were slimy, cut in pieces and frying in a pan and they weren't. Our daughters disliked the slime.

 

Our favourite was: Ghoulash. After some tries we found out that we could thicken a ghoulash soup with the slime the okra's produce at cooking. So after 2 more tries we went from soup to sauce (with noodles) to something you can eat with a fork and a knife together with Knödel (potatoe dumplings) to a stand alone dinner.

 

Last variant:

Marinated venison and boar beef in fruit wine for 2 days, cut the beef to pieces, short fried in an pan to close the pores, roasting some onions, put all in a lasagne form, added the cut okras, tomatoes, paprica, powdered nutmeg, salt, pepper and some fruit wine and put all in an oven for 2 hours. My wife considered it as a bit too spiced and so I mixed in some left over boiled potatoes from the day before into the mass. Was enough for sunday afternoon with 20 friends. Since they asked me for the recipe it wasn't too bad I think.

-

Why I am always asked for recipes if I do experimental cooking and never when I just do something from a recipe I took from internet.

[wolfie2kX 528]

Next time cut the ends off the okra and cut into 1/4 inch slices. Then when you can get some shimp or crab on sale Try this:

 

Gumbo!

 

by Mom!

 

 

For shrimp and okra gumbo:

• 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons of flour
• l large chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 5 or 6 cloves, chopped garlic
• 1 cup of chopped green pepper
• 1 can of tomato sauce
• 1 can of tomatoes ("Rotel" tomatoes for a spicier taste!)
• 1 pound, fresh sliced okra (or 2 boxes of frozen sliced okra)
• 2 pounds of fresh shrimp
  
• 2 - 3 cups water
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 1 bay leaf

For seafood gumbo, add to the above:

• 1 small can of crabmeat or 3 fresh gumbo crabs
• 1 jar oysters

• Slowly stir the flour into heated oil in a heavy cast iron skillet. Continue to stir until the flour is dark brown. Add the next 4 ingredients; stir until onions are clear.
• Add tomato sauce. Stir until it gets crumbly or dry. Fry okra in another skillet until it is no longer sticky or stringy. Add tomatoes and fried okra.
• Cook slowly, adding 2 to 3 cups of water--a little at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in one teaspoon of sugar.
• Cook for about an hour on a low fire, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of pot; adding water if necessary. Add the shrimp and the bay leaf (and if desired, the oysters and crabmeat).
• Cook another 30 minutes to an hour, adding seasoning to taste.
• Serve over boiled or steamed rice.

Enjoy the taste of New Orleans!

This will warm ya up after shoveling all that snow.

 

 

Sounds about right - though you seem to be missing a few ingredients. I had a friend or two from Louisiana - and they darn well better know how to make it... I Garon-tee!

 

1.) Andouji sausage. Gotta have some in the pot.

2.) Bay Laurel leaves 1-2 for flavor

3.) Gumbo Filé (aka ground sassafrass)

 

Without those 3 ingredients, just ain't authentic gumbo.

 

Alternatively, you can also make chicken gumbo - if you're not into or allergic to seafood/shrimp. Its good either way you slice it.

 

@ chattius

 

It's not surprising - Okra (per wikipedia) is a global vegetable - and has been for a long time. It's origins are not exactly known but it could have come from Africa or Asia - but has travelled far and wide.

 

The slimy part is actually not surprising - it's in the same family as mallow (as in Marshmallow) - the "slime" being a form of soluable fiber - helps keep you regular..! Should you get some in the future, you might try adding a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar - that will prevent the slime from forming when it's cooked.

 

Maybe people want your recipies because they turn out good..? Must be doing something right.

[gogoblender 3,077]

ah ha...where were you guys yesterday when I was rasslin with creativity in the kitchen o_O Thanks for the replies, I've been imbued with confidence and blazing to give this another go. Furian, I like what you said about cutting the ends off. Next time I hope the spiny things don't gouge out so my of my flesh on the way down

 

And... as it turns out, I was so frightened to use the creepy things I only put in six as ornamental bravado. I'll give it another go tonight with what's leftover from that batch in the fridge and see what happens (Unless I give Chattius's french fries a go

 

I lalso ike how most of you guys are agreeing on the seafood thing for this to really kick it up. I'll see maybe about going to buy a handful of big in that box in the back of the store.

 

 

 

 

gogo

[cider_steve 26]

Okra shouldn't be slimey !! ( maybe you've been over cooking it ? )

 

My mum is a vegan and uses it ( along with lots of other stuff ) in all sorts of meals. One of the most commen is a vegetable curry.

[Furian67 15]

It's the inner juices that are slimy, really wierd. Slice it up then scoop up a handful and you'll see.

 

Ohh I forgot fried Okra. That's some really good stuff.

[wolfie2kX 528]

Okra shouldn't be slimey ! ( maybe you've been over cooking it ? )

 

My mum is a vegan and uses it ( along with lots of other stuff ) in all sorts of meals. One of the most commen is a vegetable curry.

 

Okra, by nature, IS slimy when sliced up. There are ways to prevent it from being such - such as keeping the okra whole or using an acid - such as lemon juice or vinegar (small amounts will do - like a few drops) - if it's cut up. I'll wager your mum uses one or the other or something similar to mitigate the slime.

 

 

 

.

[gogoblender 3,077]

The acid trick sounds cool.

 

I've also just read that they can be rinsed under cold, then left to dry for 15 - 20 minutes after which they can be cooked.

 

Next time I'm gonna go full fry!

 

 

gogo