Okra

About

Okra are the edible seed pods of a plant in the mallow family. Raw okra has a grassy, slightly alkaline flavor similar to green beans, but its defining characteristic is texture rather than taste: it becomes notably mucilaginous, or slimy, especially when cooked in liquid. As with zucchini, okra often needs direct heat or browning to develop more flavor.

Pairs well with okra

• SuEggOkra and raw egg share the Japanese quality neba-neba, meaning slippery or sticky, a texture category that also includes natto and grated…
• FrTomatoOkra slow-cooked with tomatoes is one of the great vegetable pairings: tomato's acidity and umami offset okra's vegetal flavor, and the…
• SuGarlicPickling is often the way to win over okra skeptics -- chef Virginia Willis even suggests dropping a pickled pod into a vodka martini.
• CiLimeOkra fries with lime are a signature dish at an Indian restaurant in Asheville, North Carolina, reflecting the chef's blend of Indian and…
• EaCuminRoasting brings out a mild sulfurous note in okra that pairs well with cumin, similar to the spice's affinity for other sulfurous foods…
• SuCornCornmeal-coated, deep-fried okra coins are a classic in the American South, where corn adds more texture than flavor; succotash there…
• MuMustardWriter Siddhartha Mitter recalls okra cooked over charcoal in Calcutta as smooth, delicate and fragrant.
• EaChickpeaOkra can be stuffed with spiced chickpea flour, a fiddly process traditionally done without scraping out the ribs and seeds first.
• GrChileOkra's ridged pods hold seasoning well; chili powder with salt, or chaat masala (black salt, cayenne, amchoor and spices, tasting like a…
• EaEggplantOkra's flavor sits between eggplant and asparagus, and the resemblance to eggplant is strongest when both are stewed, developing a similar…
• FrTamarindIn southern India, okra and tamarind combine in dishes like bhindi huli ("tangy okra") and vendakkai kuzhambu, often enriched with…