Okra

[Mayhaw Man]

Brooks, should we disqualify people who haven't even given the pod a chance?

Nope. Everybody gets to vote. Even the ignorant.

Okraland is a truly democratic society. We welcome everyone and everyone gets to participate. (behind the scenes, OIA agents are working hard to tally the naysayers as we will be keeping them under careful observation-as hatred of okra probably indicates some other behavioral and social issues that may be bubbling below the surface -we like to think of it as "okra profiling")

[auntdot]

Definitely yes.

Grew up a DamnYankee and never tasted okra until I was older and had moved to the South.

Fresh okra has become one of the joys of spring.

Pickled okra, fried okra (even the frozen stuff in the bag works OK), okra in tomatoes is fantastic.

Wonder how okra in Rotel would taste? Just thought about it and have to try it.

Okra may not be something that a fine restaurant would choose to serve, but it makes fine eating, at least for this ex-DamnYankee.

[Susan G]

..........De gustibus non disputandem.

[foodobsessed]

Yes. Gumbo wouldn't be the same without it.

[peppyre]

Ummm..NO! Although, if I was in the Southern US, I would definitely give it another shot. Here in Vancouver, no, I will not eat it ever again. Blech....

Edited February 15, 2005 by peppyre (log)

[Abra]

Yes, please! Indian okra dishes totally rock.

[hazardnc]

Yes, though not necessarily resounding. I had nothing but fried until I tried my first gumbo as a teen. My husbnd's Arab grandfather introduced me to Chicken with Okra, which I love.

No doubt, okra has it's slimy characteristics - much like the slimy canned asparagus and limas my mother tried to serve me as a child.

Read on OKRA, AN OUTCAST IN A STICKY BUSINESS

Edited February 16, 2005 by hazardnc (log)

[sparrowgrass]

I believe in the Chicago model: Vote early and often.

YES, YES, YES for okra.

[therese]

Yes. Though I never make it myself, relying instead on the kindness of local restaurants to provide it.

[Milagai]

of course yes!

what's not to love about this divine pod?

most indian kids love this veggie, including mine.

to echo several previous posters,

people who hate okra or think its slimy

have never had indian recipes,

and / or they just can't cook!

give it another shot folks, with a GOOD

indian recipe, and use fresh, never frozen okra.

milagai

[su-lin]

A very enthusiastic YES!

Yum....in a fish curry, in bhindi bhaji...

I've never had a fried one yet though...

[lannie]

Yes! Especially if it's fried up Malaysian-style with spicy sambal, simmered in a coconutty lemak, or part of a hot assam fish dish.

[Milagai]

A very enthusiastic YES!

Yum....in a fish curry, in bhindi bhaji...

I've never had a fried one yet though...

←

There's deep-fried southern US style: sliced,

coated in breading, and deepfried. pretty good.

also indian style: slit, stuffed with a spice mixture,

dipped in a chickpea-rice-flour-buttermilk batter and

deep fried. heavenly! has to be eaten straight out of the pan

though. you can also do some kinds of fish this way.

milagai

[Timh]

Yes. Especially pickled and in my bloody mary.

[Bacchusrogue]

NO but the wife is a YES so I guess it evens out

[Jujubee]

Yes.

[mklynch]

YES!

[CompassRose]

Yes.

If fresh. Gumbo -- yeah, yeah. And A. makes the most wonderful bindi ... I think bharta.

Also, once I started cooking okra for myself, I realised what my very favourite bits were in childhood bowls of Campbell's alphabet soup -- yes, you guessed it, the little okra slices! I used to save those and the lima beans to eat for last.

[Human Bean]

Nope.

Here in the Pacific Northwest US, we can get "fresh" okra. But I think it may have that 'not so fresh feeling.' Others have said that frozen is crap, and I suspect that the locally available "fresh" okra is comparable to supermarket 'tomatoes' (basically, don't even bother). I don't really have enough experience to make an informed decision.

[EdS]

Okra is Okay!

This okra hate makes me want to conjure up an okra and cilantro dish and see who my real friends are.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Okra is one of those things that people love to screw up. Keep it simple. Buy small (2") fresh pods. Just before cooking, cut off the stem end. Moosh the pods around on a dinner plate which you have sprinkled liberally with kosher salt and pepper. Drizzle with good olive oil. Cook briefly on a very hot grill pan or cast iron frying pan. That's it. Good stuff.

[pam claughton]

No, sorry. The slimy texture just turns me off too much. I've made gumbos and jambalyas and other cajun/creole dishes, and just omitted the okra, and no one missed it.

[bottom-dragger]

pickles, yes!

fried in bacon fat by my grandmother, yes!

gumbo, oh yeah.

steamed? not by choice

[Toliver]

Okay, I thought I would give okra another chance. I ate lunch at a local Indian restaurant (Tandoori chicken rocks!) and had their okra dish.

Couldn't get past the slimey texture...

I'm still a loud "NO".

Perhaps okra is the new cilantro (you either hate it or don't).

[Pam R]

It's hard for my to give you a yes or no.... it's rarely available here fresh... and I have NEVER seen it on a menu here.

BUT:"Chicken Gumbo Soup I use fresh okra in this recipe, but if you can't find it, you can use frozen. Don't be alarmed by the somewhat slimy juices that the okra gives off. All of the sliminess will disappear as it cooks."

I did find it when I was testing recipes for my book, (above is a quote) and loved it in the soup. I would never use the frozen stuff for anything BUT soup.

Now I'll have to be on the lookout for it and try it some other ways..

I guess that makes me a YES