Stir-Fried Okra

Today’s recipe, a simple stir-fry, came about after consulting numerous cookbooks. Few American cookbooks mention okra, and those who do often have little good to say about it. Deborah Madison, writing in Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, can only manage “okra is slimy, and rather than try to ignore this fact, perhaps it’s just best to admit that’s how things are.” (In fairness, at least she says something. Other books just skip okra entirely.)

Okra’s slimy quality–also referred to as goo, but more accurately called mucilage–is useful for thickening stews like gumbo. Beyond that, one tends to find advice for ridding the vegetable, and thus the recipe, of offending goo. Cooks are instructed to search out the smallest specimens, to soak the pods in vinegar, to pare the tops carefully.

Mediterranean and Asian cooks treat okra quite differently. That is, they don’t care about okra’s inherent goo; it is simply another vegetable, and as such, receives no special attention. Which is what we want here.

So, on with it.

This was my maiden outing using mustard oil. I was expecting something much hotter, of the open the windows and use the oven fan variety. This was nothing of the sort.

Mustard oil is labeled “for external use” in the United States because it contains erucic acid. Scientific studies done in the 1950’s linked erucic acid to possible heart disease, but these studies were not conclusive. Nor is there an epidemic of mustard oil users developing cardiac ailments.

For an excellent and informative article by Nik Sharma about using mustard oil, click here.

If you decide mustard oil is not for you, canola or peanut oil make fine substitutes.

A word about using turmeric. Whether you opt for powder or root, turmeric loves nothing better than leaving distinctive yellow stains. Consider this when selecting cookware, dishtowels, and your favorite apron.

Whatever oil you decide to use, be mindful of the heat level. This is not a stir-fry in the Chinese sense of high speed, high heat cooking. Rather, it’s cooking the okra at medium heat, taking care not to burn the aromatics. If you have a wok or a karhi, great. If not, a wide heavy skillet will do.

Lacking a photo of my wok, here is the lid from the peppermill. Upside down.

Stir-fried okra is wonderful with rice or plain noodles. It is also delicious alongside plain poultry, white fish, or shrimp. At this time of year, a salad of sliced cucumber is a welcome accompaniment.