To ensure equal cooking, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the okra slices until they get golden brown and crispy, flipping them from time to time. After cooking, move the fried okra to a plate covered with paper towels to remove any extra oil. Enjoy this Southern favoriteโs crunchy outside and delicate inside when served hot as a side dish or snack.
Start by blanching fresh okra pods for a few minutes in boiling water, then quickly plunge them into an ice bath to halt the cooking process and maintain their bright color. After the okra has cooled, chop it into small pieces and transfer it to a mixing dish. To the bowl containing the okra, add diced tomatoes, chopped red onion, minced garlic, and chopped fresh herbs (such cilantro or parsley). After adding some lemon juice and olive oil to the salad, season it with salt, pepper, and a dash of red pepper flakes for some spiciness. After thoroughly combining all the ingredients, let the salad sit in the fridge for a minimum of 60 minutes to enable the flavors to blend and intensify.
This easy and filling salad has a crisp texture and vibrant flavors. Serve cold as a light lunch or as a refreshing side dish. You can please your taste buds with every bite of these simple okra recipes and bring a sense of the South to your table. These recipes, which offer the comforting crunch of a cold okra salad or the refreshing comfort of fried okra, are destined to become mainstays in your kitchen. So why not give them a shot and see for yourself just how tasty okra can be?
