Blistered Okra with Garlic and Smoked Paprika
No slime, no apologies
- Okra & Southern
- Side Dish
- American (Southern)
- 15 minutes
- vegan
- gluten free
Whole okra pods left intact, blistered in a hot pan or on the grill with garlic, cumin and smoked paprika. High heat and dry pods are all it takes to banish the slime.
Photo: Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons · all image credits
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 g) small okra pods, stems trimmed but pods left whole
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro or parsley
- Flaky sea salt, to finish
Equipment
- 12-inch cast-iron skillet, grill pan, or outdoor grill
- Tongs
- Large bowl
Why this recipe works
Okra gets a bad reputation because of the mucilage that develops when it is sliced and stewed. Cooked whole over high heat, the pods stay firm, the seeds sweeten, and the surface blisters into something crisp and nutty.
Two rules make the difference. Keep the pods whole and dry, and get the pan or grate genuinely hot before they touch it. This recipe needs about ten minutes of actual cooking and is our favourite way to eat the whole harvest.
Heirloom varieties to look for
Clemson Spineless is the standard, but for flavour try Bowling Red, Burgundy, or the fat, tender Jambalaya. Pick pods at 3 to 4 inches; anything longer turns woody and stringy, no matter how you cook it.
Method
Dry the pods
Rinse the okra and dry every pod thoroughly with a kitchen towel; do this an hour ahead if you can. Any surface water will steam the pods and turn the coating gummy.
Oil and season
Toss the dry pods in the bowl with the oil, kosher salt and black pepper until each one is glossy. Set them aside while the pan heats.
Heat the pan hard
Heat the cast-iron skillet over high heat for 4 minutes, until a drop of water skitters across the surface. For a grill, heat it to 450 F (230 C) and oil the grates well.
Blister the okra
Lay the pods in a single layer, leaving space between them, and cook without moving for 3 to 4 minutes until they are heavily charred on the underside. Turn and cook another 3 minutes.
Add the aromatics
Push the pods to the side of the pan, lower the heat to medium, and add the garlic and cumin seeds to the centre. Cook for 45 seconds, until the seeds pop and the garlic smells sweet, then toss everything together with the smoked paprika and cayenne.
Finish and serve
Squeeze over the lemon juice, scatter with the herbs and flaky salt, and serve hot, straight from the pan. The pods are best within ten minutes of cooking.
Cook's notes
- Buy or pick okra the same day you cook it. Pods toughen quickly in the refrigerator.
- Do not pierce or slice the pods; the moment the interior is exposed, mucilage starts to develop.
- No cast iron or grill? Roast the pods on a sheet pan at 450 F for 15 minutes, turning once, with the rack in the top third.
Variations
- Add 1 teaspoon of garam masala and a pinch of amchur (dried mango powder) with the garlic for a bhindi masala flavour.
- Toss the hot pods with 2 tablespoons of a soy, honey and chile glaze for a sticky, sweet finish.
- Cool the cooked okra and fold it into a salad of cherry tomatoes, corn and buttermilk dressing.
Storage
Best eaten immediately. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 2 days and reheat in a hot skillet for 3 minutes; the microwave turns them soft. Raw pods keep in a paper bag in the refrigerator for 2 days at most.
How to serve it
About 1 cup per serving. Serve it within the time noted above for the best texture, because heirloom produce is far less forgiving than supermarket vegetables.
