Bhindi fry is an okra dish I suspect you won’t hate

with tips on okra prep that reduce slime & a quick poll

It felt appropriate to follow my vegetable-journey essay with a vegetable that many people proclaim to hate. I want to change that narrative.

Okra, also known as ‘lady finger’ in some parts of the world, is often described as slimy and disgusting in the world around me. I had never heard anyone use these terms related to one of my favorite vegetables growing up until I was in college. I had always looked forward to eating okra every single time my mom bought it at the Asian supermarket.

Frankly, whether you will hate or love okra in a dish all depends on how you prepare it.

My favorite method of enjoying okra is Bhindi fry, a north Indian style okra stir fry that is quite simple to prepare and a low carb offering. I follow the steps of developing flavors of a North Indian dish but actually simplify them further for okra in particular by using fewer ingredients. In a pan with hot oil (1.5 tbsp), I sauté red onions (150g) for ~5 mins, add chopped okra (200g), and simmer on low-medium heat with frequent stirring until the okra is tender.

The length of time for okra to become tender depends on how old/tough your produce is. Ideally you are able to purchase young small size okra for the fastest cook time and the most tender texture. If the raw okra is too big or too old or has too many big seeds or is too hard to the touch, it will be quite tough and some pieces may not even get cooked properly.

In the last 3-5 mins of cooking, I add salt to taste and sometimes add some spices like turmeric, coriander, cumin powders with a touch of garam masala powder. This bhindi fry is quite forgiving - you can lightly or generously spice it as you prefer. I always finish this with a generous splash of lemon juice.

My lightly spiced okra dish lets the inherent flavor of an okra shine and it practically melts in your mouth. I usually serve it with flatbreads or as a side to other delicious things like daal, paneer, tofu masala, and yogurt. Importantly, this dish has minimal slime that will barely register on your taste buds as other exciting okra flavors take a front seat.

How does this okra dish minimize the undesirable slime?

A handful of key steps accomplish this:

1. Okra must be dry prior to chopping. Water is a great way to bring out the sliminess of okra. It is important to wash the okra, let it dry completely, and then chop it. I typically wash the okra several hours prior to cooking and let it air dry on a towel on the kitchen counter before chopping. If you did not think of this in advance, I would recommend towel drying completely or using a salad spinner to get rid of as much moisture as possible.

   1. I try to avoid using frozen okra for this very reason. However, sometimes that’s the only okra available for purchase. In this case I rely heavily on the next 2 steps.

2. An acid must be added to the okra. Acid will cut the slime. This can be done by either adding chopped tomatoes together with the okra during cooking or adding lemon juice in the middle of cooking or at the very end. While the tomato is optional for me, the lemon juice usually is not.

   1. Sometimes I even coat the knife with lemon juice when chopping okra to further avoid slime.

3. Sufficient oil and under-crowding the pan is a must. If there is not enough oil to coat the okra and the pan is too crowded, the okra will steam and the moisture will bring out the slime. While deep frying okra would not be healthy, enough oil should be used to achieve the proper balance between an okra stir fry and minimal slime. Absolutely do not overcrowd the pan (which once in a while I am guilty of because I want to eat lots of okra!).

   1. In order to minimize steaming, I usually don’t cover the pot with a lid for the entire cooking time. I might put the lid on here and there for 1-2 mins but never long enough for the moisture to build and circulate in the pan.

Most importantly, making use of all these tips will achieve the best results.

I hope this post nudges or inspires you to give okra another chance, especially if you have been avoiding it due to the slime.