Okra (Hibiscus esculentus) is a native of tropical Africa. It has traveled far and wide, as the bhindi in Indian curries, the bamies in Arab and Mediterranean food, and lady’s fingers in England and the English Caribbean. But long before, when it grew wild on the White Nile, it was nkurama in the Twi language of the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana). Nkurama crossed the Atlantic with the slave trade and the name was shortened to okra. Okra loves hot humid weather and is a slow grower. It is planted early in the spring and only in August does it begin producing the pods from its flashy yellow hibiscus-shaped flowers. But once it starts producing, it won’t stop until the cold weather comes. You’ll find beautiful fresh okra in farmer’s markets throughout September, so bring some home and take a culinary world tour.
The five-sided pod of this member of the hibiscus family can be prepared in many ways, including braising, sautéing, stewing, baking, and frying. And yes, there is a slime factor. Or, as the English food writer Jane Grigson says, okra does "exude a mucilaginous juice."
You can minimize the slime factor by buying very fresh okra and cooking it lightly. But okra is okra. My advice is: learn to love the slime. Or call it something else. "Slime" is for the creature from the black lagoon, and "mucilaginous" is for science professors. In the food world, let’s say it’s "slippery," or that it has "a light slickness." Just think, millions of people all over Africa, India, the Middle East, the Caribbean, South America, the Balkans, even Japan, eat okra and no one apologizes about the slime factor — in fact, they love it. You can too.
Savannah Sautéed Okra with Tomato and Corn
My first wonderful okra experience was at the hands of a Savannah-born cook in New York City. This is as close as I can get to that original experience.
1 pound fresh okra
2-3 large ripe tomatoes
1 large onion
2-3 ears corn
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons brown sugar (optional, particularly if the corn is very sweet)
1/2 cup water
1. Cut the okra into one-half-inch slices. Peel and chop the tomato. Cut the onion into thin slices, and cut corn from cob.
2. In a heavy skillet, heat two tablespoons of the oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté the okra with salt to taste, stirring occasionally, until browned, about three minutes. With a slotted spoon transfer the okra to a bowl.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and sauté the onion, stirring, until it begins to soften. Stir in the tomato and water and simmer three minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the corn and simmer until it is crisp-tender and the sauce is thickened, about three minutes. Stir in the okra with salt and pepper to taste and cook until heated through. Serves four.
Indian-Style Okra with Onion, Chili, and Yogurt
(Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s World of the East Vegetarian Cooking, Knopf, 2000)
1/2 pound fresh okra
1 medium onion
vegetable oil for frying
1/2 fresh hot green chili pepper (jalapeño works well), minced
salt to taste
1. Trim the stem end of the okra and cut into one-eigth-inch rounds.
2. Peel the onion and cut it in half lengthwise. Cut into very fine half circles.
3. Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a nine-inch skillet over a medium flame. When the oil begins to smoke, put in the okra, onion, and chili. Raise the heat to medium-high. Fry the okra, stirring constantly, for about ten minutes or until it is crisp and the onion is a medium brown.
4. With a slotted spoon remove the okra and put it on a plate lined with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt if desired. Serve hot.
5. Alternatively, for a cool summery dish, dump the fried vegetables into one and-one-half cups of yogurt mixed with one-half teaspoon of salt and one-quarter teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Fold in the okra mixture and serve immediately. Serves four.
Curried Okra
This recipe may not be genuinely Indian, but it’s quick, easy, and delicious.
2-3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 hot pepper of any sort, minced
2-3 Tablespoons curry powder
1 pound fresh okra, trimmed and cut into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
1. Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden.
2. Add garlic, pepper, curry powder, and okra. Stir-fry about five minutes. Serves four.
Okra Stew with Lamb
and Peppers
(Bamya Bil Takhdi’a)
1 pound fresh okra, stems trimmed at top
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 large onion, diced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1. Combine okra and vinegar in a medium bowl; toss to coat. Let stand thirty minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat.
3. Season the lamb with allspice, salt, and pepper. Working in batches, add the lamb to the pan and brown, about five minutes per batch.
4. Transfer the lamb to a bowl. Add the onion and green pepper to the pan the meat was in. Reduce heat to medium and sauté the vegetables until they are tender, about eight minutes. Mix in the tomato paste.
5. Return the lamb and any juices to the pot. Add enough water to cover the lamb mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for thirty minutes.
6. Add okra mixture; cover and simmer until the lamb and okra are tender, about fifteen minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves six.
Pickled Okra with Carrots
I am not a great fan of pickles. But my sister made these last summer and they are irresistible.
2 pounds small okra
4 teaspoons mustard seed, bruised
2 teaspoons coriander seed, bruised
2 teaspoons dill seeds
6 hot red chilis (optional)
1/2 pound carrots, cut into matchsticks
2 cups cider vinegar
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1. Rinse and dry the okra. Trim the stems, being careful not to pierce the caps or pods.
2. Divide the spices evenly among six sterilized wide-mouth pint canning jars.
3. Pack okra and carrots upright in the jars, placing the tip and stem ends in alternating positions and interspersing carrots, and one chili pepper per jar. Pack tightly enough to keep pods upright, but do not crush them.
4. In a nonaluminum pot, combine the vinegars, water, and salt. Bring to a boil. Fill the jars to within a half-inch of the rim. Place a scalded two-piece canning lid on each and then fasten screw band.
5. Set the jars on a rack in a deep pot half filled with boiling water. Add boiling water to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil. Cover and boil five minutes. Transfer the jars to a towel to cool completely. Store at least a month before serving or giving as a gift. Makes about six pints.
Gumbo Filé;
This recipe, adapted from the January 1991 issue of Gourmet magazine, calls for filé; powder, a spice made from the dried ground leaves of the sassafras tree. It is both a thickener and a seasoning. But this recipe is also great without it.
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 rounded Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 pound okra, rinsed, trimmed, sliced thin
8 cups water
1/2 cup chopped ham
1 pound very ripe tomatoes
2 Tablespoons finely chopped green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
6 parsley sprigs
1 thyme sprig
2 Tablespoons chopped celery leaves
3/4 pound medium shrimp, shelled
1/2 pound lump crabmeat
cayenne and salt to taste
1 Tablespoon filé powder (available at some specialty foods shops)
1. In a heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over moderately low heat, melt the shortening. Add the flour, and cook the roux, stirring constantly, for thirty minutes, or until it is the color of light cocoa.
2. Add the onion and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion begins to brown. Add the okra and cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until the okra is golden.
3. In a kettle bring the water to a boil, add the roux mixture, ham, tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic paste, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, and celery leaves. Simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally, for fifty minutes.
4. Stir in the shrimp and crabmeat. Simmer the gumbo for five minutes, or until the shrimp are firm. Season it with the cayenne and salt. Discard the bay leaf and serve the gumbo sprinkled with the filé; powder. Serves six.
Terra Brockman is the director of The Land Connection Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving farmland and promoting small-scale, diversified, organic agriculture in Illinois. Visit www.thelandconnection.org or call 309-965-2407 to learn how to get involved.