We are enjoying a bumper crop of okra this summer. Our fresh produce bins in the fridge runneth over. Nancy has a few plants in her above ground garden cage, and I have a dozen or so healthy plants in my garden. We have to pick okra every day or the pods get too large to eat.
Our favorite way to enjoy fresh okra is to cut the pods into small pieces, roll them in corn meal ad pan fry them. But I was looking for another way – a change of pace. I decided to deep fry the whole okra pods. They were delicious.
For the batter, I simply used the tempura-style Long John Silver recipe I printed last week. It works for fish, meat, and vegetables.
It’s so simple, just dip the entire okra pod in the batter and drop it into about 2 inches of hot oil. Roll them around to brown on all sides – about 5 minutes total and drain on paper towels. The pods turn out crispy on the outside and yummy on the inside. Plus, I can recycle the oil for multiple uses. If you are an okra fan, you’ll love this recipe. If you are not an okra fan, you have my sympathies.
Deep Fry Batter Recipe
3/4 cup Flour
2 tbsp Cornstarch
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
3/4 cup Water
Peanut or vegetable oil for deep frying