How to Cook Okra (2024)

FAQs

What makes okra taste better? ›

Methods like grilling, sauteing, and frying that use high heat for a short amount of time work well. Make sure your cast iron skillet, grill, or fryer is hot before you start cooking okra. Getting a good sear on the outside will not only make the outside taste great, but it will also reduce the slime inside.

One popular way to reduce okra's sliminess is to "soak it in vinegar for 30 minutes [before cooking with it], which helps to break up and dissolve the slime," says food scientist, food industry consultant, and author Bryan Le.

If you eat okra for health benefit try to eat raw… sliminess is the benefit to lower blood sugar, choresterol, remove uric acid. I like to slice very thin, add lemon juice and soy sauce, mix well and munch it. Gumbo soup is also good.

Step 1: Boil the okra

Place the sliced okra in a small saucepan, and cover with water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce the heat. Let it simmer, uncovered, for 7 to 10 minutes or until the okra is tender.

In Indian cuisine where it is known as bhindi, okra is often fried, sometimes dipped in gram flour first to make crisp okra fries, or added to curries. The flavour of okra isn't really comparable with anything else but it is mild – whether you like it or not comes down to texture.

The short answer is no, you don't have to soak it before cooking, but some recipes suggest soaking the okra in a vinegar mixture to reduce sliminess. To soak okra, pour 125ml (1/2 cup) vinegar into a bowl. Add 500g okra (the ratio of vinegar to okra is 125ml vinegar to every 500g okra). Turn the okra to coat.

Okra is a nutritious food with many health benefits. It's rich in magnesium, folate, fiber, antioxidants, and vitamin C, K1, and A. Okra may benefit pregnant women, heart health, and blood sugar control. It may even have anticancer properties.

Be careful to not overcook the okra, as this will make it slimy and mushy.

If you cook okra with tomatoes, Kara explains, the acidity in the tomatoes will help neutralize some of the sliminess. 5. Fry in high heat. Even though she had patted the okra dry, Kara wanted to be sure to take most of the slime out, so she fried them in high heat.

It is also said to be an antidote to the venom of some snakes. It has use as an insecticide. It is also applied as a treatment for intense itching on the skin. It is used in aromatherapy for the treatment of depression and anxiety.

What happens to your body when you eat okra? ›

Okra is low in calories but packed full of nutrients. The vitamin C in okra helps support healthy immune function. Okra is also rich in vitamin K, which helps your body clot blood. Antioxidants are natural compounds that help your body fight off molecules called free radicals that can damage cells.

Okra is a very nutritious vegetable. The most common way to prepare it in Zambia though involves the use of “soda” . It makes the okra have a unique taste and adds to its colour but it reduces the nutrients.

Okra water is an infused beverage made by soaking okra pods in water overnight. The drink is thought to offer health benefits like reducing blood sugar levels, supporting weight loss, and improving digestion.

Bakers Epp Legit | Adding baking soda into a pot of okra soup halfway into cooking will yield a mucilaginous (drawy) texture. | Facebook.