If you’ve always wondered how to cook okra, but haven’t yet tried, you’ll love learning about it below. Okra is one of the most underrated vegetables around. It’s also one of my all-time favorites, although admittedly, I don’t cook it very often, making it a couple of times a year.
How to Cook Okra Super Easily
Okra is believed to have originated in Africa or Southeast Asia, it did not come to the United States until the early 18th century. This healthy vegetable is a staple in the American South where it is often fried, grilled, and pickled. Okra is also commonly used in the cuisines of Africa, the Middle East, and India. I learned all about okra back in the early 1990’s when I took my multi-year Ayurvedic training.
There are 3 types of okra -green, red, and purple. Truth be told, I have only cooked green okra. Please leave a comment if you’ve cooked with other colors of okra as I’d love to hear all about it!
When to Buy Okra
Okra is in season from mid to late summer in the United States, approximately July to September. Okra grows best in the hot, humid climates described above.
How to Buy Fresh Okra
When you buy okra you’ll want to choose smooth, unblemished pods. It’s very important to select okra that does not have brown spots or shriveled dried ends. One trick we learned in our Ayurvedic training was that if the tips are not healthy and robust looking the okra will be tough, fibrous, and impossible to chew. If you get home and you can’t snap the end off of a pod you won’t want to stir-fry it. I toss those in the compost bin to cut my losses. I recently purchased frozen organic okra at our local health food store and it worked in this recipe too!
How to Cook Raw Okra
My favorite way to cook raw okra is in a stir-fry with onions. If you can eat nightshades, okra is also fantastic with tomatoes, a natural pairing since okra and tomatoes are part of the same late summer crop.
How to Cook Okra
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 pound okra, ends and tops trimmed, then chopped into 1 inch pieces
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
Instructions
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat oil over medium heat
- Carmelize onion, sautéing 10-15 minutes until golden brown
- Add okra, water, and salt
- Cook 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated and okra is tender
- Serve
Equipment
Is Okra Slimy?
Some people think that okra is slimy. And this definitely bothers those people. I love both the flavor and texture of okra and while I wouldn’t call it slimy, I would say that it does have a unique texture. Nevertheless, I love okra!
Is Okra Low-Carb?
Okra is a low-carb vegetable, containing around 5 grams of carbohydrates in a cup. If you are on a low-carb diet, check out my Keto Diet Recipes page, all of those recipes are sugar-free.
Have you ever cooked okra? What’s your favorite way to prepare okra? Leave a comment and let me know!
Ellie says
I used to despise okra when I was younger (due to the “slimy” texture), but now it’s one of my favourite ingredients to use in anything! I made spaghetti a few days ago and added okra to it instead of meat and it was an amazing substitute! I love it
Elana says
Ellie, that sounds delicious!
Dale Engelberg says
one of my favorite vegetables. you put it in a pot with a little water, turn on the burner, let it get tender, and eat. the best!
Elana says
Dale, it’s so nice to see you here again! Thanks for your comment, that sounds like a great cooking method :-)
Lynn says
I’ll have to try this; it sounds tasty. Although I’m a Southern girl who only likes my okra fried, one can use a little healthy oil of choice in the skillet; add okra that has been shaken in a sealed baggie containing flax seed meal plus sea salt and pepper to taste to coat, and fried until crisp and brown. I don’t miss the flour or cornmeal at all!
Using the same ingredients, the okra can also be spritzed with oil and baked.
Elana says
Lynn, that sounds incredible!
Jennifer Rambo says
Try this same recipe using seasoned chick pea flour in place of the flax meal. It’s so, so good.
Lynn says
Yum!
Chris says
The red, “crimson,” turn green when cooked. It has a thinner wall than the green. The small ones can be eaten raw and are crisp, doesn’t have near the slimness to them. They are good. They seem to grow longer and slimmer and still be good, not hard like the green can get. Can be cooked, sauteed whatever just like the green. Love your site and recipes.
Elana says
Chris, thanks for sharing such great info! I’m really glad you are enjoying my site and recipes :-)
raquelofgalilee says
The only way I’ve eaten okra locally is cooked in a tomatoe sauce and served over rice. I’d definitely like to try toasting okra until crispy in the oven and I’d love to try it fresh, the next time I can find it fresh and not frozen.
Elana here’s wishing you a very happy and healthy new year, may you continue to share your insights with us all this year and continue to be loved by so many.
Elana says
Raquel, it’s so nice to see you here and thanks for the well wishes! Chag Sameach!
Gretchen Smith says
I toss with corn meal and then fry in olive oil/butter combo. It’s not slimy when fried this way.
Elana says
Gretchen, that sounds incredible! I don’t eat corn so I might try your method with a different flour :-)
Melba says
I substitute buckwheat meal for corn meal for battering okra to fry and cannot tell the difference.
Elana says
Melba, that sounds delicious!
Susan Wong says
I fry my okra always. It’s fattening so we have it once a year and when we do, I fix a lot of it. I cut it in one inch pieces and dip it in beaten egg. Then it goes in cornmeal before putting in about 3/4 inch of preheated oil.
Elana says
Susan, that sounds so good! Yum :-)
Judy says
Years ago Campbell’s offered a chicken gumbo soup that was delicious. I think one could make a similar soup with chicken, tomatoes of some kind, bell peppers, onion, and cut okra, etc. I enjoy pickled okra when I can find it at the store in the non-spicy variety. Okra was also used in a remedy for stomach health in the past. Thanks for the post. I’m going to try making some home-made chicken gumbo soup.
Elana says
Judy, that soup sounds absolutely delicious :-)
Judy says
I have grown the red okra (cardinals love to perch in it). When you cook it, it turns green just like the purple green beans. My favorite way to eat okra is gumbo. Not too fond of breaded fried okra. Y’all can have my share! I like it pickled with fresh cayenne peppers or in giardiniera (mixed veggie) pickles. And I have tried it in some West African dishes that had peanuts and sweet potatoes (the names of the dishes escapes me). To preserve; you trim, cut, blanch and freeze it.
Elana says
Thanks Judy! I love hearing about your growing, cooking, and eating experience with okra!
Rosita Thibodeaux says
Elana I love to steam “fry” my fresh okra in the oven with a little vinegar or lemon juice, 1-2 T. about a cup or more water depending on the amount of okra until it’s tender and ready to add to my other ingredients. Of course this can also can be done on a stovetop too being careful not to scorch or dry out the okra. I usually cook my protiens separately with tomatoes, bell peppers, caramelized onions, garlic, or whatever I’m feeling like. When my meat…beef, pork, or chicken and or shrimp (add last) is tender and the tomato gravy base tastes great I incorporate the okra adjust the seasoning, check the okra for tenderness but carefully not to chop it up too much…a pet peeve of my old paw paw, get a bowl and a soup spoon and it’s on. Some may not like the slime but the slime is so healthy and can also be saved and used as a gravy thickener without adding any flours or starchy powders. Say if you have a nice dark brown thin steak, turkey or any meat gravy, add a little “saved frozen okra gel” and no one will ever know it’s in there. It will not change the taste of the gravy and only slightly thicken it. Delicious over mashed potatoes or rice.
Elana says
Rosita, I confess, I too love the slime. Your ideas are incredible, wish I could come to your house for some okra :-)
Anna says
Rosita, may I ask how to make tomato gravy?
Rosita says
Anna, the tomato gravy can be made in a Dutch oven with the carmelized veggies and either crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce, which ever you choose. Using a clean frying oil such as avocado, peanut, or refined light olive oil is a good pick. After all of your vegetables are nicely browned, carmelized, add your tomatoes of choice and I like to use a good stock to add extra flavor or water is fine to thin the gravy if needed at this point, but just a little at a time. Adjust your seasonings like salt and pepper and let it all simmer checking for thickness adding more liquid if needed, being careful not to go too thin. Let everything simmer for at least 30 minutes careful not to scorch the bottom and again taste for seasoning adjusting as you go along. I love garlic so I may add granulated garlic too and I add fresh garlic to the sautéed veggies in the beginning being careful not to burn it. Keep simmering and tasting adjusting for thickness and seasoning. This is basically your gravy, you can add your prepared okra and or any type of meat or seafood to this, again simmering for however long it takes for everything to completely cook. I usually have the meat already started to cook ahead of time usually in the oven, smoked sausage, cut up chicken pieces or if it’s shrimp that only takes a few minutes so throw those in when your gravy is cooked and let them simmer until no longer translucent and the kitchen smells fragrant. I hope this works for you. It sounds like a lot of work but if everything is pre-prepped it’ll be a breeze!!
Dorothy Scherr says
The slimy quality of okra is eliminated with a little acid. I like lemon juice, although I have had a little vinegar. Tomatoes fulfill this function, and the creole style okra my mother made when I was a child is my favorite. Just like your recipe, with a little carmelized garlic added in there, and cayenne pepper added with lemon juice at the end, served over rice.
For some reason, here in Texas it is always offered fried. I don’t recommend that. You can try it, but these other ways are SO much better.
The absolute BEST okra I’ve ever had is the Indian style- steamed separately, along with small new potatoes and something like lentils, then stirred together in ghee with black mustard seeds, curry powder, and a small amount of cayenne. Look for some recipes online- it is absolutely wonderful. This manner of preparation works well with sweet potatoes also. A whole new world of wonderful flavors.
Elana says
Thanks Dorothy! What great ideas :-)