Okra (okra) is a healthy, low-calorie vegetable that is often used in Caribbean, Creole, Indian and Southern cuisine. There are many ways to cook okra, but the easiest one is to boil it. However, if you digest the okra, it will produce a lot of mucus. Therefore, it is important to stop the cooking process when the okra is soft when pierced with a fork. Apple cider vinegar added to boiling water will also help reduce mucus production. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, and oil to the finished okra and you have a delicious side dish for your next meal.
Ingredients
Serves 4:
- 8 cups (1.9 L) water
- 454 g okra (okra)
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- Black pepper to taste
- ¼ cups (59 ml) apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cups (55 g) butter
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Preparing the okra
Step 1. Rinse and chop the okra
Turn on a cold water tap and carefully place the okra under the tap to rinse off any dirt and dust. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel and cut 1 cm from the end of the stem with a sharp knife.
Step 2. Place the okra in a large saucepan and cover with water
Take a saucepan so that the okra takes up no more than 3/4 of its volume. Add enough water to completely cover the okra.
For cooking okra, a pot with a volume of 2, 8 liters is well suited
Step 3. Salt the water
It is important to add salt to the water before it boils to make the boiled okra as aromatic as possible. During cooking, the okra will take some of the salt from the water. Add 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt to the saucepan and stir to distribute evenly.
Part 2 of 3: Cooking the okra
Step 1. Bring water to a boil
Place a pot of okra on the stove and turn on high heat. Let the water boil; this should take 5-7 minutes.
Step 2. Add vinegar to the pot
Once the water has boiled, pour 59 ml of apple cider vinegar into a saucepan. But do not stir, otherwise you can disrupt the okra cooking process.
You can substitute apple cider vinegar with any other vinegar and even lemon juice
Step 3. Boil the okra until soft when pierced with a fork
After adding the vinegar, let the okra simmer for another 3-5 minutes. After 3 minutes, start tasting the okra with a fork. The finished okra will soften when pierced.
Try not to digest the okra, or it will become slimy and shapeless
Part 3 of 3: The Final Touch
Step 1. Drain the water and return the okra to the pot
After you've cooked the okra, remove the pot from the stove. Drain the water through a colander and then put the okra back into the pot.
Step 2. Add butter and pepper
Add 55g oil and black pepper to the okra to taste. Salt again if necessary.
- Butter can be substituted for lard or olive oil.
- Other seasonings can be used instead of or in conjunction with the pepper. Turmeric, cumin, chili powder and coriander go well with okra.
Step 3. Cook the okra over low heat until the butter melts
Place the pot back on the stove and reduce heat to low. Continue cooking until the butter has melted. This will take approximately 3 minutes. Stir the okra frequently until the oil is completely covered. Step 4. Remove the okra from the pan and serve.
When the butter has melted and completely covers the vegetables, turn off the heat. Use tongs to transfer okra from a saucepan to a plate and serve hot.
Store leftover okra in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for three days
Advice
- Fresh okra can usually be found from May to September. In Russia, the harvest is harvested from August to November.
- Best for cooking okra is bright green without brown spots.