A food hack for reducing sliminess is to soak the okra in vinegar before cooking it. It is used in Cajun and New Orleans cuisine to thicken such dishes as chicken gumbo. That's all it's about man. How To Cook With Pig, Chicken And Cow Feet. He finds okra’s slimy taste off-putting. I've given okra to several other kids with great success and Kenya, well, he could eat it by the pound. Crecipe.com deliver fine selection of quality Steamed okra recipe recipes equipped with ratings, reviews and mixing tips. Next, place the okra in a large pot, add just enough water to cover the okra, and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt into the mix. Southern okra and tomatoes have a great flavor and texture and I can assure you – not slimy. But if mucilage isn’t properly addressed, it just makes okra feel slimy. Deep frying. We were hanging out with a bunch of neighborhood dads and their kids and one of the things I was feeding Kenya was some steamed okra. Have you ever tried steamed okra? Let them discover it for themselves. Some persons are turned off when you mentioned Okra because when it is cooked, it is slimy. Allow to evaporate on heat, and add moisture absorbing masalas, or even besan (gram flour). Since heat further activates the thickening of mucilage, batter and quick-fry chopped pods to a golden brown for a crunchy and slime-free (well, almost slime-free) appetizer or snack. Place the okra in a microwave-safe dish with just the water that clings to the pods. Crecipe.com deliver fine selection of quality Steamed okra recipe recipes equipped with ratings, reviews and mixing tips. Next, place the okra in a large pot, add just enough water to cover the okra, and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt into the mix. 2) Soak the Okra in Any Type of Vinegar. Get Steamed Okra Recipe from Food Network. Get full Steamed Okra With Tomatoes Recipe ingredients, how-to directions, calories and nutrition review. What Is Natto And How Can You Make It At Home? At this point a gorgeous little girl with wide eyes walked up, staring at me and Kenya as to say "can I have some?". A foolproof technique for avoiding the slime when cooking with okra is to use it for what it’s good at: thickening. Get one of our Steamed okra recipe recipe and prepare delicious and … Nga choy / taugeh / bean sprouts Nutritionists and avid weightwatchers, however, offered various tips and tricks on how to make it less slimey as possible. Here are five ways to cook okra without the slime. The little girl ate not one, not two, but six pieces of okra. Even the most adventuresome eaters can have a few texture issues, and okra is guilty of having one heck of a gross texture. Quick-fried okra recipe. Its spiky leaves were fascinating, but I had no idea what it was. While okra — a member of the mallow family, along with hibiscus and cotton — is praised for its taste and thickening qualities in soups and stews, many people refuse to eat it. Slice the okra and place the pieces flat. For a veggie with such a pretty nickname, okra has a bad reputation for being slimy. Yes, bitterness is to ampalaya, as slime is to okra. Me (to the little girl): Would you like some?Dad A_ She won't like it.Me (to Dad A): Can I offer her some?Dad A_ I'm telling you she won't like it, but ok! Most people think slime or fried. Okra is a Southern staple also known as “ladies’ fingers” because of their long, finger-like shape. The charred bits on grilled okra highlight the grass-like flavor of these … Add it to the stew and stir. Okra, also known as “Lady’s Fingers” is a hairy finger shaped vegetable that is mostly used in salads, stews, soups and a lot of seafood dishes. I want my children to love it, if only because it’s cheap and plentiful in the summer. Really, Okra is the simplest, easiest and cheapest soup to make. Okra has an interesting texture. Okra is related to the mallow plant, which is where the original version of marshmallows came from. I'm not usually a steamed vegetable fan -- steamed broccoli makes me particularly sad -- but steamed okra … That too in a steamed okra. Apart from the okra pods, even the leaves can be added in salads and can be added in other cooked veggies. Frying eliminates some of the texture that people often object to and describe […], How Do You Fry Okra? Don't say anything or draw attention to it. Other than to reheat food, the microwave has a bad reputation. I'm not going to ask how you became an expert on the apparent distasteful taste of "poo" as you describe it. You just might be surprised! Toss the okra with a small amount of oil, and roast it … Get one of our Steamed okra recipe recipe and prepare delicious and healthy treat for your family or … How Do I Reduce the Slime When Cooking Okra? […] popcorn – every crisp bite called for another. Bring the water to a boil, add 1/4 cup of cider vinegar, and allow the okra to boil for 3 to 5 minutes. When Okra is cooked however the cooking water really gets super slimy. Dad A_ What's that green stuff?Me_ It's okra.Dad A_ What's okra?Dad B_ It's a vegetable that people eat in the south. Okra is a versatile vegetable if you like it. What cooking methods are suitable for okra? Dec 9, 2018 - With its fresh, subtle flavor, okra can be a superstar side dish, as long as you follow a few preparation tricks to minimize the mucilage -- that notorious slime that helps thicken gumbo and can frighten even experienced cooks away from using okra by itself. 1 pound of whole okra pods; Kosher or sea salt, to taste; 1/2 cup of butter, melted; Instructions Rinse whole pods of okra and place into a steamer basket over a pot containing at least 1-1/2 to 2 inches of boiling water. I just bought frozen okra pieces for the first time. Place into steaming basket over 1 to 2 inches of boiling water. Okra can be served alone, or with ham, chicken, seafood, grits, polenta or rice. Freezing: Okra can be frozen after being blanched whole for 2 minutes. This will prevent release of slime when sliced. Stir frying. More from the Food Scientist at Food Republic: Sign up for the best of Food Republic, delivered to your inbox Tuesday and Thursday. All Rights Reserved. Don't post stupid shit. Craig. handful of okra per person; 2 tbsp rapeseed oil pinch of turmeric; pinch of chilli powder; Method. But loving fried okra doesn’t mean you like it steamed or in other dishes. Okra tends to gets a bad rap for its slimy texture. Pick fresh and choose small ones. It helps to thicken the soup a little so it’s not too brothy. Because you use less water, the steamed okra tends to be less slimy and drier than okra that's steamed on the stovetop. Many people I have heard do not like Okra just because it is slimy. This is the most important step in making sure you have non-slimy Okra. When you apply heat, the slime just comes out more. For a veggie with such a pretty nickname, okra has a bad reputation for being slimy. Made of sugar residues called exopolysacharrides and proteins called glycoproteins, mucilage’s viscosity increases when heat is applied. The mucilage of okra has an advantage when stewing, making soups or gumbo, because it acts as a natural thickening agent. 12 okra Put the okra pods in the freezer for 10 minutes before cutting or slicing. When you cut it, okra releases a sticky substance. In order to retain the crunchiness and prevent the stickiness of the okra, I have decided to steam it before I mix them into the sambal. We use cookies to provide you with a great experience and to help our website run effectively. Yes, okra does make slime, called mucilage, but that doesn’t mean that all okra recipes create a slimy mess. It is mostly grown in warm tropical climate. Chinese restaurants have perfected steamed rice, which is why it’s just easier and no stress to use for any fried rice dish. Your encounter with a stringy, boogery bowl of boiled okra in your early 20s was passed on like a family ghost story: I moved to the South absolutely convinced that okra was a slimy horror, barely a vegetable -- just another Southern embarrassment. Cover the dish and microwave fresh okra on high for approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Seemingly, the secret to okra’s health-promoting power is in its fiber and mucilage properties, which gives it that slippery – often described as slimy – texture. For this recipe, I only steam the okra … Both plants contain mucilage (a thick, syrupy substance) that when used smartly can be used to make chewy confections or thicken stews, such as gumbo. The same clear goop that flows through its leaves, known as mucilage, is also found in okra pods. Wash uncut Okra under running water, and then pat it dry with a cloth towel before cutting. This works well for stews and gumbos, because the slime helps to thicken the broth, however as a side-dish slimy okra can be off putting. Plus it’s a great short-cut. Believe it or not, the entire okra is edible. You can also slice and fry it, but handle it as little as possible. Popular in the southern United States, Japan, the eastern Mediterranean and India, Okra is an underrated vegetable elsewhere probably for two reasons: Some people don’t like the slime and others aren’t aware of all the wonderful things to do with it beyond Gumbo.The goo inside the pretty green pods is useful for thickening gumbo and other stews, but some are put off by it. The preparation phase affects how slimy the okra is when cooked or served. Scrub gently with a clean cloth, but be careful not to break open or bruise the pods. Yes, okra does make slime, called mucilage, but that doesn’t mean that all okra recipes create a slimy mess. Once the okra can be easily pierced with a fork, it is ready! Thanks for sharing the post. Ladies finger / okra / bendi. The Africans brought it and the French Creole championed it as a culinary staple. He finds okra’s slimy taste off-putting. Cooking okra without the slime can be hit or miss for the first time. As you may know, okra can become starchy once you cut them. Toss with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, some soy sauce and ginger powder (or juice), very little salt to adjust, some garlic pods sliced and cook covered for about 5 minutes on low flame. Kio can be steamed, fried, and used in curries. It's this characteristic that gives okra one of it's name GUMBO. What I did know, however, was that ripping off the leaves released a slimy, gooey substance that served as a soothing treatment for sunburn, according to my mother. 1. Success! I’ve got a little story to go along with today’s recipe — which isn’t really a recipe, more of a feature -- but I felt like it made sense to post this today_, I was at the park recently with Kenya, playing and giving him dinner (yes, in spite of the choking risk, I do my fair share of chasing Kenya around during dinner time. It's key for thickening soups, gumbos, and stews. 28 February 2020 | Share. Okra is notorious for producing slime -- the plant and its fruit contain mucilage, which is the same thing you'll find in aloe vera plants. Okra does have a substance inside it that acts as a natural thickener, and this is useful if you are making gumbo or another dish where the ingredients need to come together in a stew. Bring steamer pot of water to a boil. Steamed okra recipe recipe. Steam whole okra for 6 minutes or frozen okra pieces for … I didn't know anything about okra - so I was a bit curious when I realized how slimy the pieces were after straining. Craig 101 on July 12, 2010: She didn’t like it....she loved it! Okra tends to gets a bad rap for its slimy texture. Okra, or Abelmoschus esculentus, is the edible seed pod of a tropical flowering plant in the mallow family. When I was a kid, I remember a particularly interesting houseplant that my mother always kept in the bright, sunny corner of the laundry room. © 2021 Food Republic. Okra cooked in a watery environment (steamed or boiled) releases more slime. The slimy okra occurs when you add water and boil.