![]() That’s the real secret to this recipe, slicing it as thinly as possible so when it hits the pan, the oil seals in the spices and brings out the best part of its natural taste and it somehow removes the slime quickly. Most of the time is taken up by thinly slicing the raw pieces lengthwise before you cook it, really. Here is one of my favorite okra dishes from Madhur Jaffrey, which you can make in 15 minutes. Come on people, we all use it at some point or another. I’m going to donate some $ to Wikipedia today. According to Wikipedia, if okra did originate in South Asia, it may have traveled across the Red Sea to the Arabian Peninsula as early as 1216 when locals were eating it in Egypt it then spread throughout the Mediterranean and was introduced to the Americas via the slave trade, showing up in Brazil in 1658 and Suriname in 1686 apparently Thomas Jefferson noted okra growing in Virgina by the 1780s. Today you will find it in dishes in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan, the Middle East, Africa, the Caribbean, North America, and Brazil. It seems most likely to have come from South Asia or North Africa. Like curry, the origins of okra are unclear and under debate. This sparked an interesting dinner party conversation last year, as we all wondered about where okra first originated, since many only remembered discovering it as adults while others had memories of okra dishes their aunts and grandmas would make in the home country. ![]() Alda loves okra so whenever she comes over for dinner, I try to make it for her. My friend Alda is from northern Spain and never saw it growing up, as it’s neither native to that part of Europe nor is it used in Spanish cuisine. I remember my aunts asking me if I wanted to eat ‘lady fingers’ which, at 8 years old, I found funny and confusing at the same time. My first memory of okra is from summer vacations to Bangalore, India as a child. In North America, we usually associate okra with Cajun cuisine or the southern United States. Or thin, crispy discs of pan-fried okra folded into a spicy, andouille sausage jambalaya dotted with celery and herbs. Or stewed for a long time in a hearty New Orleans gumbo with tomatoes, bacon drippings, lump crabmeat and shrimp. Like certain things that are an acquired taste at first (including tofu, in my humble opinion) okra is often more appealing when it’s deep-fried. However, if prepared well it can be downright crave-able. If you’ve only ever had it frozen then boiled OR fresh then boiled, the squishy, slimy consistency can be a turn-off. Okra is one of those things people either love or hate. Fresh okra at New York City’s Union Square Farmer’s Market
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