By Mary Heckrotte
Okra is one of those veggies you either love or hate. What most people dislike about okra is its mucilaginous quality. If you just boil it plain in water, that quality stands out and can be a big gustatory turn-off. But even if you detest the “slimy stuff”, there are ways of cooking okra you might not have tried that would change your mind.
Being a Southerner, breaded and fried okra, the kind they serve at the Golden Corral buffet bar, is right up there near the top of my list of favorite foods. But being married to a Damnyankee who worries about every fat calorie and insulted me when we were first married by scraping off the delicious breading, I’ve learned some new ways. We first tried sautéing okra in olive oil without the breading and found it quite nice — like getting the good stuff from the middle of an Oreo without the cookie. But then Carl still fretted over all that oil, so we next tried the microwave. It turns out that if you zap okra long enough, all that gelatinous stuff disappears and the okra slices become dry and crisp and delicious; no fat at all. Now that pleases a Southerner and a Damnyankee all at the same time. And there’s more, as okra also can be stir-fried, boiled, baked, steamed, grilled or just used as a thickener.
Okra, a flowering plant of the cotton (Mallow) family, originated somewhere near Ethiopia but was also used by Asians to thicken soups and as a side dish in India. Okra was introduced to Brazil in the 1600s and was brought to the Caribbean by Africans. In fact, the word okra comes from the Igbo okworo, and means “lady fingers”, which quite nicely describes what it looks like. Okra is also called bamia or gumbo (or gombo in French) and Indians call it bindi or bhindi. In the Caribbean, you will sometimes see it spelled ochro.
Okra is a fuzzy, ribbed, green, pod-shaped vegetable that can be purchased fresh at the produce market or frozen or canned from the grocery store. Fresh is by far best but not always available at the market, usually only May through October. Inside the pod you’ll find many edible white seeds and that mucilaginous substance (okay, the slimy part!) which is wonderful for thickening soups and stews.
Large pods of okra are apt to be tough so if buying fresh, look for the smaller ones in the batch, usually three to four inches long. As okra ages, it tends to get black streaks on it so you’ll find the medium-dark green, still fuzzy, unblemished pods fresher and more tender. You can test for freshness by gently pressing the tip of the okra pod. If it snaps, it’s young and tender; if it bends, it’s getting old. Be sure to soak okra (like all fruits and veggies) in a mixture of water with a few drops of iodine added then air dry thoroughly. You can then refrigerate fresh okra in a plastic bag for up to three days. A cup of okra, raw, has only 33 calories and is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Folate, Vitamin A, and Magnesium.
In Trinidad, there’s a good Creole-style restaurant, Johnny’s, in the food court of a shopping mall in downtown Port of Spain — at least I hope it’s still there. That’s where I first sampled Cou-Cou, a local dish made with okra and cornmeal (see recipe below.) Now that is one fine side dish, just the right accompaniment to a plate of beans and rice! Cou-Cou’s even easy to make onboard and impressive as can be and no okra hater will ever be the least suspicious. And who could complain about a delicious Creole pizza when there’s absolutely nothing slimy about it? And oh, there’s so much more to okra, I only wish we could buy it year round!
Trinidad’s Cou-Cou or Curaçao’s Fungi Dumplings*
2 1/2 Cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
1/3 pound okra, cut in quarter-inch rounds
1 Scotch Bonnet or bird pepper, seeded and minced
1 1/4 Cups cornmeal (yellow or white)
In a large saucepot, bring salted water to boil. Add the butter, okra, and minced pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the cornmeal in a slow steady stream, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens, about 7 to 10 minutes. Pour into a greased pan or bowl. Cool completely. Put a plate over top of bowl, turn upside down and remove bowl. Slice cou-cou and serve as a side dish. For Fungi Dumplings, cut cooled mixture into one-inch cubes and drop into soups or stews — excellent for sopping up gravy.
*For a Puerto Rican variation, add one-half cup coconut cream to the boiling water before adding the cornmeal.
Traditional Fried Okra
2 to 3 Tablespoons bacon drippings
1 pound fresh okra, in half-inch pieces (or frozen okra, thawed, drained on paper towel)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Cup milk
1 Cup corn meal
Heat bacon drippings in large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip sliced okra in milk then put in a plastic bag with cornmeal. Shake to coat well. Shake off excess cornmeal and put a single layer of okra in hot grease and fry until brown. Turn with a spatula. Drain on paper towels and keep hot while cooking remaining portions. Serves 3 or 4.
Indian Fried Okra
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound okra, cut in half-inch pieces
2 Scotch Bonnet peppers or other medium green chilies, sliced in lengthwise strips
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
Salt to taste
1/2 Cup plain yogurt
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onion and garlic until light brown. Add okra and peppers or chilies. Sauté on high heat for 3 minutes and then add chili powder, salt, and turmeric. Lower heat to medium. Add yogurt and cook until yogurt is absorbed. Sprinkle with cumin seeds and remove from heat. Serve hot.
Okra Lover’s Traditional Stewed Okra
2 Cups okra, sliced into one-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Boiling water
Put okra into a pot with just enough boiling water to cover bottom by 1/8 inch. Cover pot and simmer until okra is tender (about 5 to 8 minutes). Serve with melted butter, hollandaise sauce or vinaigrette.
Cajun Smothered Okra
2 slices bacon, diced
1 pound fresh okra, sliced into one-half inch pieces
1 can stewed tomatoes or 2 large fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Brown bacon in a skillet over medium heat. Pour off grease and then add remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat until okra and onions are tender, about 10 minutes.
Cuban Chicken with Okra and Plantains
1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces (about 3 pounds)
2 Tablespoons adobo seasoning
olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 Cup okra, fresh or defrosted, sliced into one-inch pieces
2 medium ripe plantains, cut in one-inch pieces
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 Cups water
Season chicken with adobo and put in hot oil in heavy skillet to brown on all sides. Remove chicken to a large stew pot. In remaining oil in skillet, sauté onion, garlic and bell pepper for 2 or 3 minutes. Add mixture to pot with chicken. Also add okra, plantains, tomatoes, lime juice, and water. Cover stew pot and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes. Serve with rice.
Venezuelan Okra Soup
2 Cups okra, cut in half-inch pieces
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
Lime juice
4 Cups chicken or beef stock (or 4 Cups water and 4 bouillon cubes)
1 to 2 Cups hot milk
In a heavy saucepot, heat oil over medium heat and sauté okra until just tender. Add a little lime juice to cut the slime. Add stock and bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Just before serving, add hot milk. Serves 4.
Caribbean Okra Curry
Cooking oil
2 onions, chopped
2 green chilies, seeded, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 Tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 ounces tamarind pulp, soaked for 30 minutes in 8 tablespoons boiling water
1 1/2 ounce coconut cream
1 pound okra, ends removed, halved lengthwise
2 tomatoes, quartered
salt to taste
Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet. Sauté onions till browned then add chilies, garlic, and ginger. Sauté another 3 minutes. Stir in coriander and turmeric. Add tamarind water and coconut cream. Bring mixture to boil then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add okra and tomatoes and salt to taste. Simmer for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
Okra, Corn and Tomatoes
4 ears fresh corn (or frozen)
Vegetable cooking spray
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
3 large tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound okra, cut in half-inch rounds
Cut corn off cobs and discard cobs. Coat skillet with cooking spray and set over medium heat. Add onion and green pepper and sauté until tender. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add okra. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low. Cook 20-25 minutes until okra is tender. Serves 4.
Okra Pickles
8 Cups vinegar
8 Cups water
1 Cup salt
3 to 5 pounds fresh young okra, stems cut off
10 teaspoons dill weed
20 cloves garlic
20 small hot peppers
In a large pot, bring vinegar, water, and salt to boil. Pack washed and dried okra pods into 10 sterilized pint jars. Put 1 teaspoon dill weed, 2 garlic cloves, and 2 small hot peppers in each jar with the okra pods. Pour hot vinegar mixture over okra to cover leaving a half-inch headspace. Seal jars and allow three weeks for pickling to occur. Chill before serving. Makes 10 pints.
Creole Pizza
3 Cups flour, divided
1 package dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Cup very warm water (120°F to 130°F)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces canned pizza sauce
1/2 Cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 Cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 green pepper, chopped
8 to 10 young okra pods, cut in half-inch rounds
1 1/2 Cups fresh medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated
In large bowl combine 2 Cups flour, undissolved yeast, salt, and sugar. Stir water and oil into dry ingredients. Mix enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on floured surface until smooth, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Roll dough to fit 13” or 14” greased round baking pan or a 10″ x 15″ greased baking pan. Spread sauce on dough. Top with remaining ingredients. Bake on lowest oven rack at 450°F for 20 minutes or until crust is golden.
