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Natarajan Krishnaswami Natarajan Krishnaswami is offline
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Default Better green beans

On 2007-09-27, axlq > wrote:
> In article >,
> Vicky Conlan > wrote:
>>I got the impression it went a bit slimey when cooked, which has put me off
>>so far.

>
> Me too. Boiled okra creates unbelievable quantities of mucus that
> dribbles off like the stringy slime in a Hollywood alien creature
> film. I get nauseous just looking at it.


Guess you don't like natto much, then. :-)

Lady's finger is the usual term for this veggie in India, and it's one
of my favorite curry vegetables. This preparation is vastly less
slimy than boiled:

In a saucepan/wok, heat a couple Tbsp oil and fry mustard seeds.
When the start to pop, add hing.
After frying it for a moment, add okra (sliced into 1/4" rings),
salt, and red chili.
Reduce the heat to medium, and stir gently to mix the salt, then
stir periodically to let it roast evenly.

I like it roasted to slight crispness, but my parents like it a little
softer (still fairly green, rather than starting to brown). There's a
wide range of palatable doneness, with the only caveat being that it
smells markedly like vulcanized rubber if overcooked. (As usual,
great with rasam, or yogurt rice.)

Another of my favorite accompaniments is okra pachadi: after deep
frying pieces of okra (1/2" or so; not breaded), mix it with yogurt, a
little raw asafoetida (powder), and salt.

My mother makes this a lot when I visit -- she likes it too, but
considers it too much work to make "just" for herself. Last time I
convinced her to try using very thinly sliced bitter melon. She
dipped the slices in jaggery (unrefined sugar) dissolved in water
before frying, which caramelized during the quick fry. (Wow, that was
good. I could've just eaten the bitter melon chips by themselves...)


(Also, howdy axlq! Good to see another ba.foodie here. Bring your
friends! :-) )


N.