If people dislike okra, it's usually because of its mucilaginous (read: slimy) nature. I know okra (called dau bap in Vietnamese) as a bright addition to tart-sweet Vietnamese seafood soups and an earthy fried Indian side dish. In those Asian preparations, okra doesn’t reveal its gummy nature. Rather, you savor its ridged skin and little round seeds. You marvel at its lovely spoke structure and graceful appearance.
Okra is native to Africa but traveled to India at some very early point in time; no one is sure when that happened. In the 19th century, okra found itself in Southeast Asia and it moved on to China after that.
The pod has a mild flavor and plays well with other ingredients. It’s also a relatively expensive vegetable most of the year. For those reasons, it rarely has a starring role and is often cooked with other ingredients.
Summer is okra season as the warmer months coax their tropical nature and foster growth. The quality of the pods during summer is spectacular. Last week, at the India Cash and Carry market in San Jose, CA, a group of women huddled around a particularly fresh box of unblemished okra, picking their purchase one pod at a time. My husband noticed the group and jumped right in. He ended up with 1 ½ pounds of gorgeous okra.
You may wince at the thought of cooking and eating that much okra. I could have fried them but found myself grilling them instead. The idea isn’t mine but rather, I spotted it in Luke Nguyen’s The Songs of Sapa cookbook. I’ve been grilling okra for several months now, whenever I get the chance. This past week was the biggest batch this year.
All you do is this:
- Get some fresh okra (Select ones that are no longer than your middle finger; they’re not called ‘ladies’ fingers’ for nothing!)
- Cut each pod in half lengthwise, stopping short of the stem end so that it still remains intact.
- Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium high.
- Grill the okra, basting occasionally with canola, peanut, or olive oil. Turn the okra too. When a pod splits open, it is done. This takes 3 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate, sprinkle with coarse salt. Eat with fingers or forks. Enjoy as is or with a dunk in Sriracha sauce (homemade or purchased). They are good hot or warm.
Grilled okra is an easy way to enjoy the little pods. No worries if you’re a slime hater. Okra’s sliminess cooks away during grilling.
What did we eat with the okra? Thai grilled baby back pork ribs, which were on sale for the upcoming holiday weekend. I dipped the ribs in some of the spicy umami ketchup for an instant barbecue sauce. I suppose you could pair those foods with potato salad and/or coleslaw for a nifty Asian-American July 4 celebration.
Binh says
They are great with nước mắm and mỡ hành too. I find rinsing them before cooking, and boiling them in water with a bit of vinegar help remove some of the slime.
kulyia says
WAHH?? ididnt know you can grill it!! me and my mum would steam it then it would get all goey. Once it has cool down, we dip it in smash chili *droollll*
Phuoc says
I love orka. It's so good in Canh chua. I actually had some the other day. I didn't know that you could grill them. I might try them next time as a snack.
twitter.com/aqnguyen says
@Binh: Some breeds of okra have less slime than others. Thanks for tip on dipping grilled okra in nuoc cham. Scallion oi (mo hanh) is like gilding the lily!
@Kulyia: Steamed okra and smashed chiles. Yowza.
Thuy says
After reading that, I want some canh chua now.
During the French occupation, the Senegalese soldiers could have brought okra over to Indochina...?
RobynNZ says
In Japan I learned to give the okra a quick roll in salt on my chopping board (like a salt massage, has sandpaper effect),this tidies up hairs etc brush the salt off and then blanch briefly in boiling water, into ice water to highlight colour, then chop for use in a variety of dishes from salads to stir-fries. Stickiness not a problem if handled gently. On the other hand, when stickiness is desired, I use chopsticks and stir the chopped okra vigorously to develop the stickiness. Am looking forward to trying them grilled next time. I too find the best okra are those surrounded by a crowd of Indian people at the market and really enjoy joining in the scramble to find the best.
Diane says
I cook mostly Indian food day-to-day and eat okra a lot in summer. I had never had it until just a few years ago, so I was uninfluenced by previous bad/slimy experiences. Seems yum to me! And so pretty too...
Andrea Nguyen says
So glad to know that you enjoy okra. Thanks for the cooking tips too! Sometimes you want the slime, sometimes you don't!
christine says
We had some wonderful grilled okra that was brought to he table with salt to dip it in at a great Asian restaurant in Dallas. My husband being so enamored with them planted two plants in our garden. The only problem has been cutting them before they are to big. I am excited to give this a whorl. I did blanch them and they are on our indoor grill as we speak! Love all the sauce ideas!
Chef Jay says
Andrea . Please help . I need recipes for pork skins. I had several dishes in Saigon years ago and they were to die for . I think the skins were boiled or braised first then stir fried with hot chile and fish sauce . Please help , thanks , chef Jay
momgateway says
Okra delicious but this is my first time to see a grilled okra recipe. It's so interesting...need to get some from the Farmers market....
twitter.com/aqnguyen says
@ChefJay: Vietnamese pork skin dishes use "bi" which is just the skin. Buy it frozen at Viet markets and parboil or blanch it. Toss with ground, toasted rice (thinh).
Andrea Nguyen says
Christine: Homegrown okra -- I've never had any. The freshest that I've had were from Fresno-based Hmong farmers at our farmer's market. Okra requires lots of heat so Dallas temps are perfect for them. We can't grow them in the Bay Area where I live. 🙁
Sarah says
I'll have to try this. I love grilled vegetables, but here in Texas we only fry okra (ick).
And I saw the link to homemade Sriracha sauce!!! My Vietnamese fiance will freak out if I can make that right! Thanks. 🙂
twitter.com/aqnguyen says
@Sarah: Show your Vietnamese fiance extra love with homemade Sriracha. You'll knock his socks off!
James says
I love okra but never thought of grilling it.
kulyia says
interesting. i normally steam it and then dip it in pepper. i shall try this next time 🙂
transgender says
I have never try out the Grilled Okra recipe but looks interesting and the Yummy one,Lady finger is mine favourite just note done can't wait to taste it at home.
Debt Advice says
Okra is the freshness and flavors through are so wonderful! Even those who do not normally like okra tried and really liked it, came back.
Olin says
You people are kidding, right? The south grew up on okra. Any southerner has a "row" in the garden and picks a quart or two a day, or more. Most gardens in the south grow it from early July until mid October. Fried is good, grilled is good, boiled is good and if one ever dreams of having Gumbo it is essential. I mean this isn't something new on the block. This is an irreplaceable American food.
"Last week, at the India Cash and Carry market in San Jose, CA, a group of women huddled around a particularly fresh box of unblemished okra, picking their purchase one pod at a time. My husband noticed the group and jumped right in. He ended up with 1 1/2 pounds of gorgeous okra."
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Kimberley Lee says
Gaaa. I can't even imagine myself eating this vegetable. I don't eat veggies actually. And the sticky fluid from okra? Don't want to think about it.
marlon says
The pod has a mild flavor and plays well with other ingredients. It’s also a relatively expensive vegetable most of the year.