Okra

[N Vegan]

I think many people outside of the US South underrate this important vegetable.

It's related to the hibiscus, those pretty flowers, but is quite edible, full of vitamn D and folic acid, and has almost minimal calories and high amounts of lubricant fiber.

Best of all, you can make a very simple gumbo in minutes:

1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp flour
a pinch black pepper

Heat these together until browned (not burned).

2 cups okra, cut in 1/4 rounds
2 cups tomato
2 large green peppers, cut
2 cups water

You can add any other vegetable ingredients you like, up to 3 cups worth, or proportional amount. I add beans, zucchini, soybeans, chickpeas, yellow squash, corn.

Cook on low for thirty minutes. Remove from heat. If you want authentic died in the durn wool okra, add file (sasafras powder) in 2 tbsp amounts here. Serve over rice.

[ConsciousCuisine]

Thank you! Lovely recipe. I love okra and most people have only had it pickled, fried or in a Gumbo with meat, so your recipe is refreshing.

[Artichoke47]

I like to just steam okra and eat it. It's awesome! I haven't been able to find it organic, though.

[feline01]

Artichoke 47,

How long do you steam the okra for? I go to an organic farm every Saturday and they have loads of okra but I so far only made it stewed with tomatoes, ginger and onion. I'd like to try it steamed.

[cedarblue]

how does one stop it going sticky when cooking ??

[NS Vegan]

how does one stop it going sticky when cooking ??

Add a small amount of vinegar to get rid of the slime, if that's what you mean ("sticky"?).

[Artichoke47]

I think about five minutes in the microwave steamer I have. Or you can use cooking oil spray and heat it in the pan to brown it for about 5 - 10 minutes, preferably with a lid on the pan.

[Inchoate]

how does one stop it going sticky when cooking ??

That's the point of it - it's used as a thickener in many Southern and East Indian dishes.

Not really my thing, though - I tried it once in culinary school, but it never struck my fancy. I can usually make one hell of a gumbo/jambalaya/curry/etc. without relying on this vegetable's presence.

[Kiva Dancer]

Inchoate, I would love to see your okra-less gumbo/jambalaya recipe if you don't mind sharing it.

[Cloudy]

Inchoate, I would love to see your okra-less gumbo/jambalaya recipe if you don't mind sharing it.

Me too! I'll just add the okra anyway

[Inchoate]

Inchoate, I would love to see your okra-less gumbo/jambalaya recipe if you don't mind sharing it.

Not at all. However, a problem arises in that, I've never formulated a "recipe" for it as I've come to understand that it isn't about a set recipe, so much as the technique. I'll see if I can't give it a whirl though.

to make roughly two liters worth (go big or go home):

1/4 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of pastry flour (this makes the roux less gummy in the finished product)

Vegetable base -

2 medium onions
2 bell peppers (green, yellow, red, purple, etc.)
5 stalks of celery
(all three of these can be cut according to your whim that day; dice small, slice them, or chunk them very large for a stew-ish effect)
two jalapenos or chili of your choice, sliced or minced
5 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
fresh thyme, enough to equal a tablespoon or so

1 bottle of your favourite vegan-friendly beer (it's remarkably easy to find out which beers are V-friendly; if the website can't put you into contact with the makers, then this page should suffice as a starting point - I recommend Carlsberg for cooking, leaves the best beer flavour)
1 28oz can of whole tomatoes, roughly crushed, and juice included (just stir a butter knife around in the can itself to break up the tomatoes)
Water if necessary
2 tbsp of honey or the sweetener of your choice (preferably NOT maple syrup)
Vegan-friendly worcestershire, six shakes of the bottle
tabasco, six squirts
salt and pepper
filé powder if you like, a couple of tbsp

Additions:

Fresh corn off the cob
Large globe artichokes, peeled of all leaves, stem intact and peeled (the stem is just as good as the heart), quartered, and simmered in the gumbo for forty minutes or until tender - cover the gumbo while it simmers if you add these, or else all the liquid will evaporate by the time they're done
Pearl onions, peeled and whole
Kidney beans work nicely
Halved new potatoes
Slivers of sundried tomatoes
The sky's the limit.
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In a dutch oven, add the first two ingredients, and stir over medium heat until the roux is chocolatey brown. (This step is the vital one, as it is where all the flavour in the gumbo comes from) Add the vegetable base to this roux, and saute briefly for three or four minutes. Season this with salt and pepper.

Bring the heat to high and add the worcestershire and tabasco at this point to briefly cook off it's raw character, and deglaze the pot with the beer. Stir vigorously to ward of lumps, and after a minute has passed to cook out the alcoholic content of the beer, add the canned tomatoes and honey. Season again with salt and pepper. Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly (...if at this point, it's too thick, add water in one cup amounts and reboil until it thins itself to your desired consistency), and then lower the heat down to a low simmer. Cover or not, it's up to you. Depending on your additions, add these extra vegetables according to the proper cooking time needed.

Simmer this for thirty minutes, then remove from the heat, stir in the filé and allow it to cool. Refrigerate overnight and rewarm the next day. Serve with rice, potatoes, or (a personal favourite, and slightly sacreligous) buttered/oiled papardelle noodles on the side.

Any concerns, direct them to this thread.