A tasty spiced crispy okra recipe. Coconut and chickpea flour not only add to the taste and crispiness but also absorb the excess moisture to yield non-slimy okra.
Transitioning into the new year has felt quite like a slow stroll along a meandering path in the woods, filled with little surprises and moments of chill and resulting in not doing much. A good few weeks off blogging, photo & video shoots and social media updates have been like a little impromptu staycation. This move just came natural; I just listened and sunk in. Nonchalance – at least in my case – can do much good and more often than not, it gets things done without much effort nor thought. Anyhow, all too often we forget to unwind – looking forward to the next moment – yet relaxation is one of the fundamental fuel for both the body and mind.
So to start off, our first recipe of the year is this spicy pan-fried okra which was mentioned in one of our What We Eat videos and that many of you have been requesting ever since. For some reason, after I made this recipe last year, I could not find nice tender okra again which is a must for this recipe.
I love okra in any way, slime or not. If you don’t particularly enjoy the slime, then this recipe is one for you to try.
The combination of coconut, chickpea flour and light spices not only tastes amazing but the slow pan-fry method allows the slime to gradually dry out while the coconut flour and chickpea flour absorb much of the excess moisture to yield nice slightly crispy okra on the outside with a tender interior.
This recipe requires very little preparation time and even with the rather slow pan-frying, it can be made in under 30 minutes. This makes a great side dish or you can even use okra prepared in this way with a salad.
You can watch this easy okra preparation in the video below.
Spiced Crispy Okra Recipe
Pan-fried with Coconut & Chickpea Flour
Easy non-slimy okra side dish
Ingredients (serve 2)
350g okra (cut into 1-2 cm or 1/2 inch pieces across)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons coconut flour* (or desiccated coconut)
1 tablespoon chickpea flour (or gram flour/besan)
1 tablepoon lemon juice (or tamarind juice)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
*It is easy to make your own coconut flour at home using these instructions.
Instructions
Wash the okra while still whole. Then pat dry them on a paper towel or clean cloth. Cut the stems off, then cut into 1-2 cm or ½ inch pieces across.
Mix the coconut flour, chickpea flour, turmeric and paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a skillet on medium high temperature, heat the oil. Once the oil is hot (but not fuming), add in the okra and stir. Make sure the skillet is large enough so that the okra fit on one layer.
Cook on medium high heat while stirring every 5 minutes or so until the okra is half-cooked (about 12 – 15 minutes, depending on how tender the okra are). They will slightly shrink and will be a little darker in colour.
Add the lemon juice. Immediately add the salt followed by the flour and spice mixture and stir.
Cook for another 5 – 8 minutes, until the chickpea flour is nicely roasted.
Turn off the heat.
Serve warm as a side dish or with a salad.
Spiced Crispy Okra | Non-slimy Side Dish
Ingredients
- 350 g okra, cut into 1-2 cm or 1/2 inch pieces across
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour, or desiccated coconut
- 1 tablespoon chickpea flour, or gram flour/besan
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or tamarind juice
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seed powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- Wash the okra while still whole. Then pat dry them on a paper towel or clean cloth. Cut the stems off, then cut into 1-2 cm or ½ inch pieces across.
- Mix the coconut flour, chickpea flour, turmeric and paprika in a small bowl. Set aside.
- In a skillet on medium high temperature, heat the oil. Once the oil is hot (but not fuming), add in the okra and stir. Make sure the skillet is large enough so that the okra fit on one layer.
- Cook on medium high heat while stirring every 5 minutes or so until the okra is half-cooked (about 12 - 15 minutes, depending on how tender the okra are). They will slightly shrink and will be a little darker in colour.
- Add the lemon juice. Immediately add the salt followed by the flour and spice mixture and stir.
- Cook for another 5 – 8 minutes, until the chickpea flour is nicely roasted.
- Turn off the heat.
- Serve warm as a side dish or with a salad.
Notes
Pin this easy delicious crispy okra recipe for later
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