Okra stir fry

Okra stir fry

Okra belongs to the same family as hibiscus and cotton. It looks like a ribbed pepper. It is available all the year round.

Okra is noted for the gummy, gelatinous liquid, much like albumin, it releases when it is cooked. Some love this substance and some hate it. This substance plays an important role in thickening soups and stews. For those who do not like this substance just frying the pod with a little corn meal would yield a memorable dish.

Okra makes excellent pickles. It can be dehydrated or oven roasted for later use. Thin slices of okra coated with little salt and chili powder deep fried to be crispy will make excellent chips.

Tender leaves and blossoms are also edible. The leaves also have the very same gelatinous substance.

Okra can be grown as an ornamental plant in pots. It may not yield as many fruits as a plant growing on land but it will bear fruit even in pots.

Okra is available in almost all parts of the world. Therefore there are numerous regional recipes for okra. We will explore some of these as we go along. Today we will explore a stir fry which will be delicious.

Okra is a very nutritious vegetable. It is believed to be helpful in diabetes by slowing down the intake of sugar in the blood stream. It is full of anti-oxidant properties and has a load of vitamins. It helps in controlling lipid levels.  The pectin in the vegetable can help lower cholesterol level. For centuries the people in the east believed that okra will protect the brain neurons in young children and therefore fed them with generous quantities of okra. It is very low in calories and contributes only 33 calories from a cup of okra slices.

Nutritionfacts

Okra stir fry

                                    Recipe summary

                                              For 

                                        Okra stir fry

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Drying washed okra

1. Use a kitchen paper towel and wipe out the little white fibrous growth found on the outer skin of the vegetable. It is sufficient to draw the vegetable through the paper towel held tightly in your hand once.  This is optional but most people do it.

2. Wash 250 grams okra well in running water. Wipe the water with kitchen towel and make it dry. I arrange okra on a towel and cover with another towel. It will be ready when I finish my other work. This process will stop oozing of gummy, gelatinous liquid. 

Ingredients

3.Cut the okra into ¼ inch slices.

4. Coat the okra slices with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon chili powder and let it marinate for about half an hour.

5. Heat 4 table spoon of vegetable oil in large frying pan or a wok.

6. Add 1 onion chopped coarsely and fry for 5 minutes.

7. Add 10 curry leaves chopped fine, 3 cloves garlic sliced thinly, 1 green chili seeded sliced thinly and 

Okra stir fry

and continue frying for two minutes.

8. Now add the okra pieces and fry in a low fire for about fifteen minutes, or the okra turns lightly brown in color. You need to stir frequently as we are not adding any water yet.. If the okra is very dry add one or two more tablespoons of oil. Alternatively you can add one or two tablespoons of water instead of the oil. The idea is not to let the okra become very dry. 

There must be moisture left in the okra, otherwise it will give a blunt salty taste.

Okra stir fry is ready.                                  

Recipe follows in detail with pictures.

                                 

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Drying washed okra

Ingredients

Main

250 grams okra sliced thinly
Others

1 onion chopped coarsely

10 curry leaves chopped fine

3 cloves garlic sliced thinly

1 green chili seeded sliced thinly

1 red chili seeded and sliced thinly

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of chili powder

4 table spoon of vegetable oil

Ingredients for okra stir fry

Preparation

Use a kitchen paper towel and wipe out the little white fibrous growth found on the outer skin of the vegetable. It is sufficient to draw the vegetable through the paper towel held tightly in your hand once.  This is optional but most people do it.

Okra slices coated with salt and chili powder

Method

Wash the okra well in running water. Wipe the water with kitchen towel and make it dry. I arrange okra on a towel and cover with another towel. It will be ready when I finish my other work. This process will stop oozing of gummy, gelatinous liquid. Cut the okra into ¼ inch slices.

Okra is being fried in a wok

Coat the okra slices with salt and chili powder and let it marinate for about half an hour.

Heat the oil in large frying pan or a wok

Add onion and fry for 5 minutes and then add the curry leaves, garlic, green chili and red chili and continue frying for two minutes.

Now add the okra pieces and fry in a low fire for about fifteen minutes, or the okra turns lightly brown in color. You need to stir frequently as we are not adding any water yet.. If the okra is very dry add one or two more tablespoons of oil. Alternatively you can add one or two tablespoons of water instead of the oil. The idea is not to let the okra become very dry. There must be moisture left in the okra, otherwise it will give a bunt salty taste.

Okra stir fry

When the okra becomes lightly brown in color take it off the heat and the okra stir-fry is ready. You can eat on its own as a snack or serve it as a side dish with rice or bread.

Nutrition data for this recipe
Nutrition content is computed by adding nutrition values of individual ingredients according to the USDA nutrition database. Water shown here is what is found in the ingredients and not the water added while cooking. This is only an approximation. For further information please read my post “Nutrition information for my recipes.” 

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