Air Fried Okra Recipe (All the Taste With None of the Guilt!) (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put vinegar in okra? ›

Lemon juice, chopped tomatoes, vinegar, or a splash of wine will not only add depth to your recipe, but it will also lower your slime quotient. A vinegar bath also does wonders to reduce the slimy consistency. Before cooking, soak the pods in vinegar for 30 minutes to help break up and dissolve the slime.

Air fry okra: Once all of the okra is coated, it's time to air fry! First, generously coat the air fryer basket in cooking spray, and then add the okra. Add another dose of cooking spray to the veggies, and let 'er rip—12 to 14 minutes should do the trick.

Chef, recipe developer, and okra enthusiast Sylvia Fountaine of Feasting at Home tells us that another smart way to cut back on okra's gooeyness is to "cook it over high heat for a short amount of time." She says that "the more okra cooks, the slimier it gets, because the sugars that create the slime are released."

25.2–28 g per day for females between 19 and 50 years. 30.8–33.6 g per day for males between 19 and 50 years.

Place sliced okra (3/4-1 inch round slices) into a saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring the water to a boil (about 5-7 mins) and add ¼ cup of vinegar or lemon juice (I use apple cider vinegar) to the pot without stirring it in. Cover it with a lid and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the okra is fork-tender.

Pick your okra before it gets 6--7 inches long. The tender ones tend to be the youngest and shortest. However, some will be old but still short because of injury or insect attack. These will be hard to chew as well.

Roast okra is a healthy snack alternative to the fried version, although it does have quite a few uses in the kitchen! Turn it into a variety of other dishes like stuffed peppers, gumbo or even Spanish rice to add a nice roasted flavor. Most commonly though, they're great as a starter, side or delicious snack!

Okra, like many vegetables, has health benefits due to its high fiber and antioxidant content. However, eating too much okra can cause adverse effects in some people.

If you're not a fan of the viscous, slimy texture that okra can sometimes take on, there's an easy hack to solve the problem. By soaking the okra in vinegar for 30 minutes, says food scientist Bryan Le, the acidity breaks up and dissolves the slime.

Viscosity peaks at neutral to alkaline pH, Preston said, which is why exposing okra to acidic ingredients, such as vinegar or tomatoes, tones it down. Some African cooks, she said, go in the other direction, adding baking soda (which raises pH to a more alkaline level) to okra soup to augment its thickening effect.

Why is Chinese okra bitter? ›

Discard any large seeds, which will contribute an untenable bitterness. I'd read that smaller specimens had fewer seeds and a better texture. Go big, but balanced, with seasonings, as Chinese okra is mild in flavor but soaks up pan juices like, well, a sponge.

What should you look for when buying fresh okra? Avoid choosing pods that are very hard because they will be bitter and difficult to eat. Pods that are too soft are overripe and will not taste as good either.

By soaking the okra in vinegar for 30 minutes, says food scientist Bryan Le, the acidity breaks up and dissolves the slime. This explains why okra pickles are generally crunchy, and remain less slimy than braised or stewed okra. Citrus juices work here too — lemon juice, for example — and even tomatoes.

This is the same way my mom & grandmother can tomatoes, without the vinegar, of course. Because tomatoes are acidic they don't need the vinegar. Since Okra isn't you have to add the vinegar for the acidity.

To soak okra, pour 125ml (1/2 cup) vinegar into a bowl. Add 500g okra (the ratio of vinegar to okra is 125ml vinegar to every 500g okra). Turn the okra to coat. Set aside for 30 minutes to soak.