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Photo: Joy Howard
Active Time:15 minsTotal Time:15 minsServings:4Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:15 minsTotal Time:15 minsServings:4
Active Time:15 mins
Active Time:
15 mins
Total Time:15 mins
Total Time:
Servings:4
Servings:
4
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipeMany years ago, I declared that okra was the Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables. It gets no respect. I have long celebrated my love of the slimy pod and delight in finding many ways to serve it to the gurning-faced okra haters. One of my great points of culinary pride is that I got my okra-averse mother to eat it on occasion. She wasn’t a complete convert, but she’d at least let it pass her lips. I realize that okra’s slipperiness is a mouthfeel that is a no-go for many, and I respect that. However, that very mucilaginous property is the reason why the pod is prized in many areas of the world.In parts of West Africa where the culinary paradigm is a soupy stew served over or with a starch, okra is known for thickening a sauce. In some places, the pod generates virtual ropes of liquid that are a part of the delight that many take in the sauce. In some cases, even I will admit to being a bit daunted; I always soldier on and am usually delighted in the end. In brief, I pride myself on being quite the okra booster.In the world’s menus, okra is also served in a multiplicity of ways that either eliminate the slip or make a creative use of it. Think of India’s bhindi bhaji with tomatoes and curry spices, or the okra that appears in khoresh bamieh, aPersian lamb-and-okra stew, or the simple okra stews called bamia that turn up in Greece. I will always remember the chef Suvir Saran’s sublime fried okra that could convince even the most ardent naysayer (the chef served the dish at his Manhattan restaurants Dévi and Véda and they were the talk of the town). Imagine my delight at discovering Brazil’s salada de quiabo.I don’t remember my actual first taste, but I suspect that it was in one of the restaurants upstairs at Mercado Modelo in the Brazilian city of Salvador,where in the 1980s you could snag a window seat and look out at the bay while sipping a caipirinha or two and sampling a variety of traditional dishes. The okra salad was a surprise, as I’d never before seen my favorite pod served cold and dressed with a vinaigrette. It was a revelation, but shouldn’t have been a surprise. After all, okra, if young and tender, can be eaten raw.The dish was a simple one of blanched okra served on salad greens and topped with a slightly spicy vinaigrette. The okra was slightly crunchy and what slip there was became a part of the dressing. It was cool, crisp and delightful. I’ve served it to friends and have as a result recruited more than one into the international okra mafia of which I am a proud member.
Jump to recipe
Many years ago, I declared that okra was the Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables. It gets no respect. I have long celebrated my love of the slimy pod and delight in finding many ways to serve it to the gurning-faced okra haters. One of my great points of culinary pride is that I got my okra-averse mother to eat it on occasion. She wasn’t a complete convert, but she’d at least let it pass her lips. I realize that okra’s slipperiness is a mouthfeel that is a no-go for many, and I respect that. However, that very mucilaginous property is the reason why the pod is prized in many areas of the world.In parts of West Africa where the culinary paradigm is a soupy stew served over or with a starch, okra is known for thickening a sauce. In some places, the pod generates virtual ropes of liquid that are a part of the delight that many take in the sauce. In some cases, even I will admit to being a bit daunted; I always soldier on and am usually delighted in the end. In brief, I pride myself on being quite the okra booster.In the world’s menus, okra is also served in a multiplicity of ways that either eliminate the slip or make a creative use of it. Think of India’s bhindi bhaji with tomatoes and curry spices, or the okra that appears in khoresh bamieh, aPersian lamb-and-okra stew, or the simple okra stews called bamia that turn up in Greece. I will always remember the chef Suvir Saran’s sublime fried okra that could convince even the most ardent naysayer (the chef served the dish at his Manhattan restaurants Dévi and Véda and they were the talk of the town). Imagine my delight at discovering Brazil’s salada de quiabo.I don’t remember my actual first taste, but I suspect that it was in one of the restaurants upstairs at Mercado Modelo in the Brazilian city of Salvador,where in the 1980s you could snag a window seat and look out at the bay while sipping a caipirinha or two and sampling a variety of traditional dishes. The okra salad was a surprise, as I’d never before seen my favorite pod served cold and dressed with a vinaigrette. It was a revelation, but shouldn’t have been a surprise. After all, okra, if young and tender, can be eaten raw.The dish was a simple one of blanched okra served on salad greens and topped with a slightly spicy vinaigrette. The okra was slightly crunchy and what slip there was became a part of the dressing. It was cool, crisp and delightful. I’ve served it to friends and have as a result recruited more than one into the international okra mafia of which I am a proud member.
Many years ago, I declared that okra was the Rodney Dangerfield of vegetables. It gets no respect. I have long celebrated my love of the slimy pod and delight in finding many ways to serve it to the gurning-faced okra haters. One of my great points of culinary pride is that I got my okra-averse mother to eat it on occasion. She wasn’t a complete convert, but she’d at least let it pass her lips. I realize that okra’s slipperiness is a mouthfeel that is a no-go for many, and I respect that. However, that very mucilaginous property is the reason why the pod is prized in many areas of the world.
In parts of West Africa where the culinary paradigm is a soupy stew served over or with a starch, okra is known for thickening a sauce. In some places, the pod generates virtual ropes of liquid that are a part of the delight that many take in the sauce. In some cases, even I will admit to being a bit daunted; I always soldier on and am usually delighted in the end. In brief, I pride myself on being quite the okra booster.
In the world’s menus, okra is also served in a multiplicity of ways that either eliminate the slip or make a creative use of it. Think of India’s bhindi bhaji with tomatoes and curry spices, or the okra that appears in khoresh bamieh, aPersian lamb-and-okra stew, or the simple okra stews called bamia that turn up in Greece. I will always remember the chef Suvir Saran’s sublime fried okra that could convince even the most ardent naysayer (the chef served the dish at his Manhattan restaurants Dévi and Véda and they were the talk of the town). Imagine my delight at discovering Brazil’s salada de quiabo.
I don’t remember my actual first taste, but I suspect that it was in one of the restaurants upstairs at Mercado Modelo in the Brazilian city of Salvador,where in the 1980s you could snag a window seat and look out at the bay while sipping a caipirinha or two and sampling a variety of traditional dishes. The okra salad was a surprise, as I’d never before seen my favorite pod served cold and dressed with a vinaigrette. It was a revelation, but shouldn’t have been a surprise. After all, okra, if young and tender, can be eaten raw.
The dish was a simple one of blanched okra served on salad greens and topped with a slightly spicy vinaigrette. The okra was slightly crunchy and what slip there was became a part of the dressing. It was cool, crisp and delightful. I’ve served it to friends and have as a result recruited more than one into the international okra mafia of which I am a proud member.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients6cupswater12ouncessmall fresh okra pods, trimmed1smallhead Boston lettuce, leaves separated⅓cupred-wine vinegar2teaspoonsfinely minced onion1teaspoonfinely minced fresh parsley¼teaspoonfinely minced garlic7tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oilDash of liquid from jar of malagueta peppers or favorite hot sauce to taste
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
6cupswater
12ouncessmall fresh okra pods, trimmed
1smallhead Boston lettuce, leaves separated
⅓cupred-wine vinegar
2teaspoonsfinely minced onion
1teaspoonfinely minced fresh parsley
¼teaspoonfinely minced garlic
7tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
Dash of liquid from jar of malagueta peppers or favorite hot sauce to taste
DirectionsBring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Plunge okra into the boiling water and cook until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold running water; drain well and pat dry.Arrange lettuce leaves on a serving platter; arrange the okra on top.Whisk vinegar, onion, parsley and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk in oil until well combined. Season with pepper liquid (or hot sauce) to taste. Pour the dressing over the okra and lettuce and serve immediately.TipWhen shopping for okra, choose small pods that are firm and dry. Avoid those that are mushy, slimy or have blemishes. The skin coating should have a peach-fuzz appearance. To trim them, top and tail them like you would green beans.EatingWell.com, September 2021
Directions
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Plunge okra into the boiling water and cook until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold running water; drain well and pat dry.Arrange lettuce leaves on a serving platter; arrange the okra on top.Whisk vinegar, onion, parsley and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk in oil until well combined. Season with pepper liquid (or hot sauce) to taste. Pour the dressing over the okra and lettuce and serve immediately.TipWhen shopping for okra, choose small pods that are firm and dry. Avoid those that are mushy, slimy or have blemishes. The skin coating should have a peach-fuzz appearance. To trim them, top and tail them like you would green beans.
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Plunge okra into the boiling water and cook until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse under cold running water; drain well and pat dry.
Arrange lettuce leaves on a serving platter; arrange the okra on top.
Whisk vinegar, onion, parsley and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk in oil until well combined. Season with pepper liquid (or hot sauce) to taste. Pour the dressing over the okra and lettuce and serve immediately.
TipWhen shopping for okra, choose small pods that are firm and dry. Avoid those that are mushy, slimy or have blemishes. The skin coating should have a peach-fuzz appearance. To trim them, top and tail them like you would green beans.
Tip
When shopping for okra, choose small pods that are firm and dry. Avoid those that are mushy, slimy or have blemishes. The skin coating should have a peach-fuzz appearance. To trim them, top and tail them like you would green beans.
EatingWell.com, September 2021
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)247Calories24gFat8gCarbs2gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
