Yummy and Healthy Okra Recipes That are Great for any Occasion

Source: The Spruce Eats

Fried okra is a culinary classic for a reason. This yummy-looking dish has a light coating of cornmeal on the pods and a quick dunk in hot oil renders the okra crisp and delicious. Some people prefer to chop the okra into bite-sized snacks, similar to popcorn. Enjoy the fried okra plain, with a squeeze of lemon juice, or with your preferred dipping sauce.

Garlic Sautéed okra

Source: Saveur

This recipe for garlic sautéed okra is super easy to make and has a very unique flavor to it. This dish requires only a small amount of oil, sliced garlic, and okra. The okra is rendered moist, tender, and crisp. The golden garlic perfectly complements the sweetness of the okra with its own sweetness.

Grilled Okra

Source: Louisiana Cookin

The charred bits of grilled okra accentuate the grassy flavor of these gorgeous green pods. It is the easiest way to prepare okra and is nearly as popular as the fried variety. If you lack a grill, you can use a grill pan on the stove.

Roasted Okra

Source: Food & Wine Magazine

Roasting is another method that consistently yields crisp okra. Roasting okra in the oven is simple and brings out its delicious nutty, slightly grassy, and almost sweet flavor. For extra flavor, add some slivered green onions. Chopped chiles impart a spicy flavor.

Tomatoes with Okra

Source: Simply Recipes

This dish of braised okra and tomatoes contains an aromatic blend of spices. Even though the okra is cooked in liquid, the acid in the tomatoes reduces its tendency to become gelatinous. It makes an excellent side dish, particularly when served with grilled sausage.

Pickled Okra

Source: Simply Recipes

Try pickling okra for a delightful surprise. This method allows you to enjoy the distinctive grassy flavor of okra well beyond the harvest season of summer and fall. It is very simple to make okra pickles, and you can adjust the level of heat to your liking.

Chilled Okra Salad

Source: NYT Cooking

This chilled okra salad, a popular Japanese dish, is a delicious option for hot days. Similar to freezing okra for storage, the okra in this recipe is blanched in boiling water and then chilled in an ice bath to preserve its vibrant green hue. For a simple and delicious salad, slice the okra, chill it in the refrigerator, and serve it with soy sauce.

Okra curry with onions

Source: Sailu's Food

Not only does this recipe produce a delicious okra dish, but it also provides essential cooking advice for okra. The okra is stir-fried with onion and tomato with cayenne, curry powder, and turmeric. It takes about 20 minutes to prepare and is delicious over rice.

Indian crispy okra

Source: Piping Hot Curry

A slightly different take on fried okra, the kurkuri bhindi is an Indian okra dish with a crisp texture. The okra is thinly sliced, dipped in a dry batter of gram flour, turmeric, chili powder, carom, and chaat masala, and then deep-fried. Alter the seasonings or opt for the oven-fried option, if desired.

Okra cooked in tomato sauce

Source: The Spruce Eats

Another Greek vegetarian dish consisting of okra in tomato sauce is a recipe cooked longer than the majority of okra recipes. Before cooking, the okra is soaked in a salted water-vinegar mixture. The outcome is a delicious side dish or lights main course that everyone will enjoy.

Okra Quinoa Pilaf

Source: cookbuzz

The okra in the okra and quinoa pilaf recipe is cooked for a few minutes in water to create a healthy, garden-fresh dish. Onion, garlic, celery, an abundance of fresh herbs, and a few spices contribute to the dish's flavor. Simply combine it with cooked quinoa or your preferred grain, and it is ready to be consumed.

Traditional Seafood Gumbo

Source: Food & Wine Magazine

The mucilage that makes cooked okra slimy also thickens liquids, which is why okra is a popular ingredient in gumbo. This seafood gumbo recipe calls for sautéing sliced okra in bacon grease or butter. It is added to the stewpot with crab meat, shrimp, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, a brown roux, and an abundance of seasonings, and then cooked for several hours.