Fried Okra
Okra rounds soaked in buttermilk and egg, dredged in seasoned cornmeal, and fried until golden and crisp. Okra itself is indigenous to West Africa, carried to the Americas via the transatlantic slave trade in the 1500s; enslaved Africans adapted West African deep-frying and battering technique to the crop, swapping in locally available cornmeal for the millet-based batters used back home, making this a defining dish of the African diaspora in the South rather than a purely regional invention.
Vegetarian
⚠ Contains: Egg, Dairy, Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 450g fresh okra pods, sliced into 1cm rounds
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Steps
- Whisk the buttermilk and egg together in a bowl, add the sliced okra, and soak 15-20 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne.
- Heat about 1cm of oil in a heavy skillet to 175C/350F.
- Drain the okra, then dredge in the cornmeal mixture, shaking off excess.
- Fry in batches, 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown and crisp.
- Drain on paper towels, salt immediately, and serve hot.