How to incorporate okra into your dishes

Okra can be added to a dish in two almost opposite ways: cooked briefly to stay firm and only lightly slimy, or simmered for a long time to thicken a sauce thanks to its mucilage. The choice of cooking method changes everything, even before thinking about spices.

Adding fresh okra without too much sliminess

For okra that stays firm, cut it at the last moment: contact with air and water triggers the release of mucilage. Favour a short, brisk cooking method, in a pan or in the oven, rather than a long simmer, and avoid stirring too much during cooking. A dash of lemon juice, vinegar or tomato added at the end of cooking also limits the mucilage from expanding.

Adding okra to thicken a sauce

Conversely, for a sauce with a good thickness, such as Senegalese soupe kandia or djoumblé sauce, it is this same mucilage, released by longer, simmered cooking, that gives the dish its sought-after texture. The okra, whole or sliced into rounds, then cooks directly in the broth or sauce, with no separate searing step.

Adding dried or powdered okra

In dried form, as a powder or in pieces, such as Gbamougou fresh okra powder or djoumblé, okra is first rehydrated in a little hot water, then used in small quantities as a sauce base. It must be cooked with the rest of the preparation, like any dried vegetable, and is never eaten as is.

Recipes to use it in

• Soupe kandia, the Senegalese sauce made with okra, palm oil and smoked fish.
• Okra rice pilaf, where whole okra simmers directly with the rice.
• Caribbean calalou, the stew of green leaves, okra and crab from the Caribbean.

Okra's nutritional composition

Raw okra provides, per 100 grams, about 31 kilocalories, 1.9 grams of protein, 3.2 grams of fibre and 23 milligrams of vitamin C, according to the Ciqual table from ANSES and the USDA FoodData Central database.

Frequently asked questions

How long should fresh okra be cooked?

Allow 5 to 7 minutes in a pan or 3 to 5 minutes in boiling water for a texture that stays firm. Dried or powdered okra first needs to be rehydrated in a little hot water, then cooked with the rest of the preparation.

How do you remove the sliminess from okra in a dish?

Cutting it at the last moment, a short, high-heat cooking method and a dash of lemon or vinegar at the end of cooking reduce the slimy feel. For a sauce that is meant to be thick, it is the opposite: a longer, simmered cooking thickens the dish thanks to this same mucilage.

Where can I buy dried okra in France?

NKOSI sells dried okra in two forms, powder and pieces, and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.