Roasted Okra
Have you ever seen an okra plant? It it probably one of the most beautiful flowering vegetable plants I’ve ever seen! Back in the day (when I had a huge garden) I would plant 5-10 okra plants and by late summer I would be drowning in okra. I pickled, stewed, fried, grilled, and roasted them on a daily basis. While a little olive oil, salt and pepper is easy and delicious, I really enjoyed this spice combination to take roasted okra to the next level.
If you’re a little put off by okra because of the slime - don’t be! Grilling and roasting is a great way to prevent the slimy, gooey mess that can happen when stewing them. However, that slime is a nutritional powerhouse… its soluble fiber! The fiber that helps lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, and feel full! So, in my opinion… bring on the slime!
For little eaters, okra may be a bit of a stretch. My 18 month old willingly tried it and loved it. My three year old - like most - wasn’t having it. Perhaps including them in the cooking process or incorporating some food play would help. (I’m thinking okra fingers? Cutting off the tops and sticking your fingers inside the pod? I don’t know!?!? Sounds pretty silly to me… the sillier the better!)
Enjoy!
Roasted Okra
Ingredients
- 1 pound okra
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 wedge of lime
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425.
- Place okra (whole) onto a large baking sheet.
- In a small bowl mix together all spices and olive oil.
- Pour olive oil mixture onto the okra and toss so that all the pods are coated.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until okra is lightly brown and tender.
- Remove from the oven and squeeze the lime wedge over the okra and toss.