This Fried Okra with Lime and Chilli will make a believer out of you – no slime in sight! Okra has such an undeserved bad rep, just as much for its infamous gooey insides as its bland, almost negligible flavour.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Table of contents
Love or Hate Okra?
I must confess to being a huge fan of it though, however it is cooked, whether with lots of spices to enhance its naturally mild constitution or with just a few ingredients so its natural woody, grassy flavour can be enjoyed to the fullest, as in today’s recipe.
A vegetable by any other name, I grew up calling it lady’s fingers, bhindi or okra, interchangeably, depending on who I was talking to!
Fried Okra Recipe
Today’s recipe, Fried Okra, gives you a dry, goo-less end product. There are 2 key elements involved if you would like a slime free okra dish:
- Make sure that the okra is dry, very dry, before you cut it and most certainly, before you cook it. Moisture encourages the spread of the characteristic goo.
- Cook it on high heat, this will cook off any remaining moisture and sticky liquid.
This Fried Okra with Lime and Chilli is quick to cook and has a very subtle flavour, it makes the perfect accompaniment to stronger flavoured rice, curries or dal.
Cooking with Okra
To ensure that you get the best out of cooking with okra, there are certain guidelines you can follow. You can read more about Cooking with Okra here.
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Smoked Salmon Curry
Stir Fried Okra with Lime and Chilli
Ingredients
- 12 okras
- 1 small onion or 2 shallots sliced
- 2 cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped
- 2 red chillies sliced
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp salt or to taste
- juice of half a lime
- a few stalks fresh coriander leaves cilantro, chopped
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Slice the okra up at an angle into bite sized pieces.
- Heat the oil up in a large frying pan on medium high heat.
- Cook the onions for about a minute.
- Toss in the chilli and garlic and fry for on about 30 seconds.
- Add the okra, turmeric and salt in and stir it all up to mix. Keep frying and stirring for about 5 minutes until okra is cooked.
- The okra will start getting burnt and crispy at the edges, that’s the effect we want.
- When the okra is done, add the lime juice and cook for another 30-60 seconds to burn off the juice.
- Take off heat, scatter with chopped coriander (cilantro) and serve immediately.
This okra recipe sounds lip-smacking-good! So simple but loaded with flavour. Stir frying is the really best way to get rid of the slime. I can enjoy this as a warm salad meal all on it’s own.
Thank you, Maria.
Fantastic recipe. Simple and easy to follow with a stunning result that is impressive! A keeper! We added fish sauce at the very end to season.
Thank you, I’m pleased you enjoyed it!
I love okra, but it is hard to get fresh in country New Zealand, could I use frozen?
HI Jill, yes, you can absolutely use frozen okra in this recipe. If they are already sliced, use them straight out of the freezer, cook them at the same high-ish heat as stated in the recipe, giving them an extra 2-3 minutes.
If they are still whole, thaw them according to the packet instructions, then slice.
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This is a really interesting post. The only okra I’ve ever eaten was a disgusting gooey mess, but it’s a vegetable I always imagine should taste good. 🙂 I have to find some fresh okra and try this recipe!
I think so many people get put off by the gooey mess but it’s definitely one of my favourite vegetables!