Unlike potatoes or corn, that are universally liked, okra is a type of greens that divides folks. Some hate it (one chef informed The Guardian: “It was the most foul thing ever grown”) whereas others find it irresistible. In 2021, James Beard Award-nominated cookbook creator and meals author Ben Mims wrote for the Los Angeles Times, “In my home, it’s all love,” earlier than declaring it as “a vegetable that deserves the spotlight.”
As even Mims admits, okra might be slimy, which is offputting to many individuals. But he additionally speaks of the numerous causes to like okra. It’s extremely versatile, for one. It additionally connects many alternative cultures—it’s liked throughout Africa, the Middle East, and the southern US states, the place it’s a gumbo important.
There are some ways to rid okra of its slimy texture and remodel this vegetable right into a scrumptious ingredient you’ll need to cook dinner with on a regular basis. Below, we’ve pulled collectively just a few of our favourite vegan recipes with okra that display simply how tasty this distinctive plant might be.
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Where did okra initially come from?
For many individuals, okra is greater than only a vegetable—the flowering plant has a protracted and complicated historical past.
When thousands and thousands of African folks had been forcibly dropped at the US by means of the transatlantic commerce of enslaved folks, totally different substances had been additionally introduced with them, and one in every of them was okra. The plant thrived within the warmth of the South, and it grew to become a staple ingredient of Southern delicacies, primarily used as the important thing thickener in gumbo, a Cajun stew.
Today, okra continues to be utilized in many Gullah Geechee recipes. The Gullah Geechee persons are descendants of enslaved Africans who lived within the coastal areas and sea islands of South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina.
But okra is under no circumstances restricted to the US. It’s nonetheless a staple throughout Africa—from Senegal to Ethiopia, the ingredient is often utilized in stews and soups. It’s additionally utilized in Turkish, Iranian, and Indian dishes in many alternative methods. Bhindi masala, for instance, is a well-liked North Indian dish consisting of tomatoes, spices, onions, and fried okra.
What are the advantages of consuming okra?
Okra isn’t just versatile and culturally important, it’s additionally nutritious, too. “Okra may not be at the top of most people’s grocery lists,” Sereen Zawahri Krasuna, RD, LD informed the Cleveland Clinic. “But it’s easier than you’d think to use it in the kitchen. Okra’s health benefits definitely make it worth the effort.”
In simply half a cup of okra, there are two grams of fiber, which is necessary for supporting digestive and intestine well being, 4 grams of carbohydrates, and 32 micrograms of vitamin Okay. That’s greater than 1 / 4 of the really helpful every day worth of the nutrient, which is important for a number of crucial features within the physique, together with blood clotting and cell progress and improvement.
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Okra can also be an excellent supply of vitamin C, folate, magnesium, vitamin B6, thiamin, calcium, and potent antioxidants referred to as polyphenols.
Research has proven that, due to its antioxidant content material, okra could assist cut back ranges of LDL (unhealthy) ldl cholesterol within the blood, which is a threat issue for coronary heart illness. It might also assist cut back irritation and regulate blood strain, too.
Plus, okra’s fiber content material means it might additionally assist cut back the chance of colon most cancers. According to Healthlineanalysis continues to be restricted on this matter, however “it’s believed that since fiber increases stool bulk and decreases transit time, it helps prevent cancer-causing chemicals from having prolonged contact with the colon and rectum.”
What is one of the best ways to eat okra?
As talked about above, many individuals are postpone by okra due to its slimy texture. But Mims maintains this doesn’t should be a fault of the vegetable—that is what makes it such an excellent soup or stew thickener, for instance. But it additionally doesn’t should be slimy in any respect.
The meals author recommends “[rubbing] the cut pods with spices, salt and sugar and then [blasting] them at high heat in the oven until all the slime is driven out of the pods and into the spices to hydrate them.” You may fry them in oil “until blistered and caramelized,” he provides.
“There’s more to the pod than the slime,” says Mims. “Okra is a vegetable that adapts to almost any flavors you throw at it and any way you want to cook it.”
7 vegan recipes with okra
For additional proof of simply how versatile and engaging okra might be, discover a few of our favourite vegan recipes beneath.
1 Quick and Easy Okra Pilaf With Coconut Bacon
Okra really shines in this savory, cayenne rice pilaf with smoky, crispy coconut bacon. The dish is quick to make, bursting with flavor, and, dare we say it, guaranteed to win over even the biggest okra skeptic. For maximum enjoyment, pour yourself a glass of white wine before digging in.
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2 Vegan Gumbo With Okra and Lentils
Of course, this record wouldn’t be full with out a gumbo recipe. This model from Michaela Vais of Elavegan is extremely filling, satisfying, and nourishing—every part you need in a hearty stew. “When you want to eat a comforting meal this delicious vegan gumbo is simply perfect,” says Vais.
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3 Bhindi Masala
As talked about earlier, okra can also be a staple in Indian delicacies, and, arguably, the most effective methods to take pleasure in it’s in stir-fried bhindi masala. “Whether you love okra or hate it with a passion—and everyone falls in one of those two categories—you will definitely love a bhindi masala,” guarantees recipe developer Vaishali of Holy Cow Vegan.
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4 Mexican Spiced Crispy Baked Okra
For those that actually hate slime, this crispy baked okra is the recipe for you. There is not any slime in sight, we promise. Earth Chick will stroll you thru tips on how to remove mucilage (that’s a flowery phrase for slime) to create a few of the tastiest okra you’ve ever tried. “I spent many years being terrified of this unusual (and sometimes hard to find!) vegetable, so hopefully this recipe will make you realize okra is not so scary after all,” says Earth Chick founder Aleisha Maree.
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5 Baked Popcorn Okra
Another recipe that guarantees to restrict slime is that this baked popcorn okra dish from Vegan Richa. The okra is coated in a batter of chickpea flour earlier than being breaded with a mixture of tasty spices and baked—so easy, however so scrumptious. “You know what tastes amazing breaded and crisped? I think everything,” says recipe developer Richa Hingle.
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6 Vegan Khoresht Bamieh
This flavor-laden Iranian stew is made with a mixture of vegan rooster, dried black limes, and okra in a wealthy tomato and garlic sauce. The key to getting the perfect taste in keeping with The Iranian Vegan is to depart it to simmer for loads of time over low warmth, which permits the spices to fuse with the black limes. The latter is vital, as they add a “sour, tart and aromatic, earthy flavor,” notes the recipe developer.
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7 Vegan Nigerian Okra Soup
Roasted tofu replaces meat on this conventional Nigerian okra stew, which is bursting with scrumptious flavors and aromas. “If you’ve never cooked with this ‘mind-boggling’ vegetable before, I can assure you that this recipe is wonderfully easy to make and incredibly tasty,” guarantees Tomi Makanjuola of The Vegan Nigerian.
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