Sautéed Okra is my go-to okra recipe. I love the simplicity of this dish! With minimal ingredients and a cook time of under 20 minutes, this dish is a winner.
Summer Vegetable
Just like some gourds and squashes, okra is a summer vegetable. The Indian grocery store near me has fresh okra piled up in the vegetable section. Growing up in India I have always been used to buying fresh veggies. Vegetable vendors who hawk their wares on carts or lay them out in small kiosks at street corners. They are never refrigerated. They come straight from the farms and are expected to be sold the same day or the next at the very latest.
Heaps of fresh vegetables on street side display
How to Pick Okra
Indeed, there is an art to picking okra. My mom snips the bottom end of the okra and of it breaks clean, it passes her test! Look for tender, green okra. As far as possible go for the small or medium rather than the large ones. Feel along the sides for seeds. If you can actually feel the seeds, the okra is not tender. It can also be sticky and gummy and take a long time to cook. The tender ones are easier to cook and taste way better.
How to Prep Okra
In general, I cut vegetables first and then wash/rinse them before cooking. With okra however, I like to make sure it is completely dry before I even cut it. Any additional moisture can make it stickier and it ends up taking longer to cook. I wash and dry/wipe okra with a paper towel (or a cloth towel). The important thing is to ensure that it is perfectly dry and free of any chemicals.
Washing and drying okra
Okra has long been favored as a food for the health conscious. It contains potassium, vitamin B, vitamin C, folic acid, and calcium. It’s low in calories and has high dietary fiber content. Recently, a new benefit of including okra in your diet is being considered: Okra has been suggested to help manage blood sugar in cases of type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes!
We have other delicious okra recipes you might want to check out:
Also check out some of our delicious sautéed veggies:
- Carrot, Green Bean, Coconut Sauté
- Cluster Beans-Coconut-Ginger Sauté
- Broad Bean Eggplant Sauté
- Sautéed Asparagus
- Fresh Fenugreek Eggplant Sauté
- Easy Sautéed Green Beans
- Spicy Cilantro Ginger Eggplant Sauté
- Sautéed Asparagus
- Snake Gourd Coconut Sauté
- Easy Sautéed Tindora
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Sautéed Okra
Ingredients
- 2.5 Cups Okra - Cut to small pieces
- 1/4 Cup Onion - Fine cut
- 1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1/4 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder - (or cayenne pepper)
- 1/2 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - (or to taste)
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil - (Cold pressed, organic)
Instructions
- Wash, dry and cut okra; cut onion, set in a bowl
- Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and let them splutter; add okra, onion, salt, mix well and set the lid on. Keep taking the lid off and stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes. Make sure the moisture/ stickiness is completely eliminated. Add chili powder, mix well; add coriander powder and mix well.
- Transfer to bowl and serve hot.
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