Pan-Fried Okra Recipe

Okra, we'll acknowledge, is not for everyone (even if okra is a Southern staple). If you steam it or boil it, it can have a texture that's a bit too soft — some might even call it slimy. That's too bad, since okra has all kinds of nutritious goodness that would benefit your body if only you could get yourself to eat it. If that sounds like you, how about frying it instead?

Recipe developer Jaime Shelbert has come up with a way to cook okra that takes the slime factor out of the equation by coating it in cornmeal and then pan-frying it. As Shelbert tells us, "With this cooking method, the okra is tender-crisp." She also points out that "pan-fried okra is a healthier variation of traditional fried okra since it uses a lot less oil and light breading." Shelbert advises to diversify your vegetable intake. "If you like green beans or zucchini, then give okra a try as it's slightly similar in taste and texture."

To make this dish, you'll need okra (obviously). Shelbert says to "look for pods that are firm and bright green in color and free from bruises." You'll also need cornmeal. For seasoning, you'll need salt, pepper, and cayenne. For cooking, you'll need some oil. Shelbert uses extra virgin olive oil for frying, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan over medium heat, then add the okra. Stir it until each piece of okra is coated with oil. Put a lid on the pan and cook the okra for about eight minutes or until it turns bright green. During the 8 minutes of cooking time, open the lid and stir the okra every few minutes.

Once the okra is looking green, add the salt, pepper, and cayenne to the pan and stir until the seasonings are evenly distributed. After the okra is seasoned to taste, mix in the cornmeal. Stir the contents of the pan until all of the okra is coated with cornmeal.

Pour the remaining oil into the pan, but leave the lid off as you finish up the cooking. Give the okra another 5 minutes or so on the stove, stirring occasionally. Once each piece is a nice golden brown, the okra should be done. From there, you can elevate the fried okra as you see fit.

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The recipe calls for fresh okra, but okra can be purchased frozen as well. The shelf life alone makes frozen okra a pretty tempting alternative to fresh, but will it work just as well? In most ways that matter, frozen okra will work just fine as a substitute. Frozen veggies are often frozen at peak nutritional quality which, locks it in much better than it would if it were allowed to stay "fresh."

If you decide to go with frozen okra, you'll just want to let the food thaw completely — and then dry it with some towels — before you start cooking.If the okra is still frozen when you try to bread it, you're going to create problems when all the water melts and washes away the cornmeal coating.

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