fried okra

About 12 years ago I shared my original take on Okra With Shrimp, and while that recipe is still very popular, I thought I’d share another version with slight differences with you. One of the most common questions I received after sharing a quick Reel on Instagram was, “can I use pre-cooked shrimp?“. The short answer is yes, however you won’t get much (if any) flavor from them.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs okra (trimmed)
3/4 lb small shrimp (washed, peeled, deveined)
1 lemon (juice)
3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
1 teaspoon Caribbean Green Seasoning
3/4 tablespoon salt (divided)
3/4 tablespoon black pepper (divided)
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 medium onion (sliced)
5-7 cloves garlic (smashed)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)

Notes! I used an entire Scotch Bonnet pepper in the recipe, but you can use as much as you can handle or leave it out. May I suggest you follow along with the video below as much about the recipe is discussed there. If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the full list of ingredients to ensure they meet your specific gluten free dietary requirements.

Season the cleaned shrimp with 1/3 of the salt, 1/3 of the black pepper, Caribbean Green Seasoning, Curry powder and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mix well and set aside as we prep the okra.

In the video I explained that I like to wash the okra (say ochro in the Caribbean) and allow them to air-dry for a bit before prepping. Which includes removing the stems and ends (discard), then cutting each into 1/4 inch pieces.

Using a dry non-stick (explained why in the video) on a medium flame, add the seasoned shrimp, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then remove and set aside.

In the same pan add the remining olive oil and add the okra. Stir well, then add the remaining ingredients.

After about 25 minutes (try to maintain the same heat and stir every 5 minutes or so), the okra should have dark to golden edges and would have lost most of its moisture. As explained in the video, these dark edges bring out a lovely sweetness.

TIP! Use a wide non-stick frying pan to save on having to go heavy with oil and to avoid the okra pieces stacking up. This will create steam, which equals moisture and it will result in slimy okra.

Once you’re happy with the texture and color of the Okra, add the precooked shrimp back to the pan, stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Remember to taste and adjust the salt at the end, to your liking and may I recommend you have some hot Sada Roti on the side with this.

Seafood

Fry Ochro (okra) with Salted Cod.

April 6, 2019March 25, 2019Leave a Comment

Here’s a redo of a classic Caribbean way of cooking Okra, which I originally share when this blog first started back in 2009. If you recall, back then I mentioned how much I disliked okra (say ochro in the Caribbean) as a young fella growing up on the islands. Funny how your taste-buds change as you get older, especially when you move to a different country where you can get the stuff you had in abundance. Basically when you don’t have something, you realize how much you wish you did or at least gave it a try during those abundant younger years.

You’ll Need…

2-3 lbs okra (sliced)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup prepared salted cod
1 onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (sliced or crushed)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper (sliced thin)

Important! If doing this recipe gluten free, please go through the entire list of ingredients to make sure they meet with your specific gluten free dietary needs.

Heat the oil in a wide pan (use a non stick pan or you’ll need more olive oil) on a med/low flame, then add the pieces of prepared salted cod to the pan. Stir well, reduce the heat to low and cook for 3-5 minutes. Then add the black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, onion and garlic and cook for a further 3-5 minutes.

Trim off the ends and stems of the okra (discard) then slice into 1/2 inch pieces. If you want to prevent most of the ‘slime” that Okra tends to have, you may air-dry the sliced okra for a few hrs in the sun. I didn’t. Turn up the heat to med high at this point and start adding the okra to the pan. Stir well.

Cook with the lid off as we’re not trying to add any moisture to the pan. Stir well.

After about 25 minutes your okra should have golden brown edges and fully cooked. You may check for salt and adjust as I didn’t add any salt. The remaining salt in the salted cod was enough for me. You may also choose to continue cooking until “dried” down (as we say) or as in my case.. I stopped.

Remember to wash your hands immediately after handling scotch bonnet peppers with soap and water.

Do you own a copy of my cookbook ?- The Vibrant Caribbean Pot 100 Traditional And Fusion recipes Vol 2

Seafood

Fried Okra With Salted Cod.

August 27, 2012August 27, 201215 Comments

Okra or ochro as it’s passionately known in the Caribbean is quickly becoming one of my favorite ingredients to prepare. Gone are the days when our mom couldn’t even beg us to eat fried okra or okra in general. Steamed, fried, stuffed or in stews.. I love me some okra now. I recall my mom always having okra in her small kitchen garden at the back of our home and it was my duty to pick them for making callaloo on a Sunday. That was my only okra intake as a child.. in callaloo. I still recall getting wet by the dew drops on the leaves of the plant before the morning sun came up and how you had to be careful not to brush too much against the plant or you’d have to deal with itchy skin.

You’ll Need…

1lb okra
4 tablespoon Veg Oil
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tomato
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup salted fish *
1/2 scotch bonnet pepper

Notes: I used salted cod but you can use your fav type of saltfish. Since the flakes of salted fish will still contain some salt, you may not need to add any salt to the dish. However do taste near the end of cooking and adjust accordingly. Remember when working with scotch bonnet (and any hot pepper) that most of the raw heat is in the seeds and white membrane surrounding the seeds. Discard if you’re concerned about the heat. Cooking okra like this uses a lot of oil, so I used a non stick pan to help cut back on the amount of oil I needed.

Okra is notorious for having a slimy texture and this is what usually turns people off it. This little tip will help you overcome this.. wash and dry the okra with paper towels, then trim off the stems. Cut into 1/4 inch wheels (or any shape you like), then line a cookie sheet with more paper towels or a tea towel and spread the now cut okra onto the cookie sheet. Try to make it one layer, then place in direct sun for a couple hrs to dry off. If you don’t have that wonderful Caribbean sunshine, simply place it in a corner of your kitchen and allow it to air dry for a few hours.

If you’re not sure how to work with salted fish, you must check out this video : How To Prepare Salted Fish Basically you have to place the salted fish in a deep pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Leave for 2-25 minutes on a rolling boil, then drain and rinse off with cool water. Now break apart into flakes or shred. The goal is to remove most of the salt the fish is cured in, rehydrate the fish so it plumps up and to sort of tenderize it a bit.

Heat the oil on a medium heat in a non stick pan and add the shredded salted cod. Reduce to a low heat and allow to cook for about 4-6 minutes. As the pieces of fish starts to crispy up and edges go brown, it’s time to add the sliced onion, scotch bonnet pepper garlic and black pepper. Allow this to cook on a medium heat for a couple minutes. The idea is to create a very flavorful base before we add the sliced okra.

With your heat still on medium, add the now dried okra slices into the pan and give it a good stir. Please don’t cover the pan.. we don’t want to add any moisture to the pan or risk it going slimy.

Here’s where you can personalize the dish. I like my fried okra with a little crunch but the edges must be browned, so I allowed mine to cook for 20 minutes but you can certainly cook longer or less time. After 20 minutes I topped with the tomato (please remove all seeds and liquid before dicing) and gave it a good stir. Basically the tomato is to brighten up the dish, so 2 minutes of cooking and the fried okra should be done. The last couple minutes is when you should taste for salt and adjust accordingly. It’s important to add salt near the end of cooking when working with okra as it will also cause moisture to develop and you really don’t want that.

I could honestly have this for breakfast. lunch or dinner.. give me some brown rice, roti or flour dumplings and I’m cool as a cucumber. This fried okra recipe is a HIT and I’m sure you’ll change your thoughts o okra after you’ve given it a try.

Before you go, don’t forget to check out the latest cooking videos, connect with me on twitter and join our community on facebook. oh yea! leave me a comment below – it’s appreciated.

Fry Ochro (Okra) With Shrimp.

Fry Ochro (okra) with Salted Cod.

Fried Okra With Salted Cod.

Hi, I'm Chris.

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