Fried Okra

Okra is my favorite vegetable. A lot of people are turned off by the slimy texture, but to me that's just one of its charms, along with its mild yet unique (and tasty!) flavor. I am lucky enough to have grown up eating okra, as it was usually the vegetable that was served in my elementary school cafeteria in Texas. Those of you who didn't grow up with it might find it sort of freaky.

Okra is a summer vegetable; I found a bunch of it at the market last weekend, which I bought without even thinking about what to do with it. I love it simply steamed with a little salt and pepper or lightly stir-fried; it's also a necessary ingredient in gumbo and is used to delicious effect in Indian cooking (where you'll find it under "bhindi"). This time, though, I figured I might as well try my hand at frying it Southern-style. I do live south of the Mason-Dixon Line, after all, and batter-fried was the first form in which I tried it.

If you're not used to okra, frying it this way is a great way to introduce yourself to it. If you can't love okra covered in cornmeal batter and deep-fried, there is something wrong with you!

This is what raw okra looks like, by the way. I didn't know this for years...

 Ingredients
1/2 lb okra
1/2 cup soymilk
1/2 T white vinegar
1/2 cup cornmeal*
pinch of salt
freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil

*I didn't actually have any cornmeal, so I ran some polenta meal through a coffee grinder. It worked okay.

Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, sift together the cornmeal, salt, and pepper. In a smaller mixing bowl, stir the vinegar into the soymilk (the former thickens the batter, which makes it stick to the okra a little better; buttermilk is traditional, but it's not worth buying just for this, whether or not you use dairy).

Top and tail the okra, and slice it into half-inch rounds. Add the okra pieces to the soymilk, stir to coat, and allow to sit for about 15 minutes. Then toss the okra with the cornmeal in the large bowl. If it looks like there's too much cornmeal, sift the okra to get rid of the extra.

Battered-up.

Put a plate lined with paper towels next to the stove for when the okra is done--it's going to be greasy.

In a large (about 10-inch) skillet, heat half an inch of oil over medium-high heat. When you see a sheen on the oil, add the okra pieces one-by-one; this will keep them from sticking together and will help each piece hold its own batter. There are two keys to the frying process:
      1) This is a delicate operation, so flip the pieces gently and as seldom as possible while frying them so that you don't strip them of the coating.
      2) Do not fry them for too long! As soon as they turn beautifully golden, they're ready.

Transfer the okra to the paper towel-lined plate and gently pat them dry with another paper towel. Add a little more salt to taste.

Not the healthiest way to eat your veggies, but possibly the most delicious way.

I served mine alongside some barbecued tofu and polenta; they're also great as a snack served with a dip of (vegan) mayo with chopped scallions and a little squeeze of lemon juice.

Enjoy,
KB