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Southern fried okra
Bite-sized okra coins in a crunchy cornmeal coat
AmericanIn Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia, fried okra is served in bowls on every meat-and-three counter and eaten like popcorn in summer, when okra pods are young and tender. Sliced into coins, dipped in buttermilk and tossed in seasoned cornmeal, they fry crisp and nutty with none of the slipperiness okra is known for. Chef's tip: choose pods no longer than your finger; big ones are woody.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 16 oz young okrasliced into 1.5 cm coins
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 4 oz cornmeal
- 1 ⅜ oz plain flour
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 cups vegetable oilfor frying
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Soak the 16 oz young okra in the ¾ cup buttermilk for 10 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Mix the 4 oz cornmeal, 1 ⅜ oz plain flour, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper in a large bowl. Lift the okra out with a slotted spoon, drop it in and toss until every piece is coated.
3 minStep 3: Heat 3 cm of 2 cups vegetable oil in a heavy pan to 350°F. Fry the okra in batches for 3–4 minutes, stirring once, until golden brown and crisp. A common mistake is adding too much at once, which drops the heat and makes it greasy.
12 minStep 4: Drain on kitchen paper, sprinkle with a little extra salt and serve hot.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does southern fried okra take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of buttermilk?
- Milk with lemon juice or white vinegar: 1 tbsp per 240ml (1 cup) milk, left for 5 minutes.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
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