Saed News: Okra stew is one of the delicious and nutritious southern dishes that is very popular with its unique and pleasant flavor. However, one of the problems in cooking okra stew is the sliminess of the okra. We have prepared the secret to preventing the sliminess of okra stew for you in the following article.
According to the Cooking Service of Saed News, if you have experience cooking okra stew with chicken or meat, you surely know that the sliminess of the okra is a problem that makes the final dish different from what you expect, causing some to give up making it. But we have a solution for this problem, which we cover in the following section — it can also be considered the secret to the deliciousness of okra stew.
To avoid sliminess in okra stew, follow these tips:
Use small, slender okras because they have a firmer texture and open less during cooking.
Do not chop large okras into very small pieces; cut them into fairly large chunks so your stew won’t get slimy.
Frozen okra is better for stew than fresh okra, since fresh okra is soft and can become slimy after cooking.
When cleaning the okra, avoid damaging their bodies as breaking their texture causes sliminess.
Do not cook okra stew on high heat because intense heat breaks down okra’s texture and causes sliminess.
Okra becomes soft and delicate after cooking, so avoid stirring the stew vigorously or too much after cooking.
Adding green peas to the okra stew reduces the chances of sliminess.
When cleaning okra, cut off a bit of the stem but do not remove it completely from the base, to avoid sliminess.
To make your okra stew delicious, keep these in mind:
Choose young, small okras: Selecting smaller, younger okras with a dark green color greatly affects the taste. Make sure the okras have no black or brown spots.
Use saffron: To make your okra stew tastier and reduce the gamey smell of meat, definitely use saffron, especially when cooking with lamb or other meats. Saffron adds a unique aroma and color to the dish.
Use lamb meat: Okra stew can be made with chicken, veal, or lamb. For better flavor, use lamb shank.
Sauté the okras: Before adding to the meat, sauté the okras briefly to enhance their color and taste.
Use tamarind: In southern cities of Iran, tamarind is used to flavor okra stew. You can dilute 50 grams of tamarind in some boiling water, strain it, and add the liquid to the stew.
Use dried lime (limoo amani): To make the stew more delicious, add dried lime, which gives a wonderful aroma and a mild acidic flavor. It also tenderizes the meat and balances the sweet and fatty tastes in the stew.
Onion and garlic: Chop and sauté onion and garlic before adding the other ingredients to enhance flavor.
Use oil or butter: You can sauté the ingredients with vegetable oil such as olive oil or butter. Butter makes the stew taste richer and more pleasant.
Tomato paste: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for color, gloss, and a mild sweet flavor. Choose a high-quality paste with natural color. Alternatively, you can sauté pureed tomatoes with onions and meat for more flavor.
Add salt and spices: Using salt and spices in the right amounts is very important for improving the stew’s flavor. Use them carefully to achieve the desired taste.
