Fried Okra

Okra? Yes, okra. Have you ever had it? Many people don’t like it, but I love it! It is a green pod that looks like this:

It has little white pods inside that are quite slimy. I don’t mind the gooey-ness. The goo is actually a source of usable fiber! If you sprinkle a little lemon juice on cut up okra pods, it will dissolve away the goo. However I didn’t even notice it when I fried it. I think it cooked the goo away pretty quickly.

Okra is usually found in African or in Southern foods. You can usually find it in the frozen vegetable section, but I think it is best fresh. I have never actually seen it at any of the grocery stores where I live, but I am sure you can find it in larger cities. If not, just use the frozen stuff. I think it has a very pleasant, fresh I was excited to get my hands on some fresh little pods.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Fresh Okra, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

1. Slice the okra and add to a large bowl. Pour in buttermilk and mix well until okra is covered well. Preheat oil to 350 degrees. In a separate bowl, combine spices, salt, flour and cornmeal. Mix well. Then pour flour mixture over okra and toss to coat. The cornmeal made it  quite crunchy. I think I might not use as much corn meal next time.

2. You will have to fry in batches. Place enough okra in the hot oil so that it creates a single layer. Fry until golden brown. This will take 2-3 minutes. Okra should be vibrant green, where you can see it under the breading. Drain on paper towels.

Mine are not completely coated in batter because I only had a little bit of buttermilk (and normal milk for that matter) left in the fridge.

Recipe from Fried Okra’>Eclectic Recipes