Saturday, May 31, 2008

Okra

Okra is the second popular vegetable in Egypt after moloukhia. It is not used in many recipes, but it sure is a necessity in the Egyptian cuisine.

Cleaning okra

With a fine knife, remove a thin layer from the top of each okra forming an inverted cone. Also remove the bottom tip. Be careful since it may be a bit prickly.

Washing okra

After cleaning okra, wash in a colander under running water rubbing it between your hands (okra feels sticky in the hands). Be careful since it may be a bit prickly. Repeat several times. Spread okra pieces on clean kitchen paper or towel to dry.

Freezing and defrosting okra

Freeze okra after boiling it. Bring a deep pan ¾ filled with water and 1 tbsp lemon juice to boil. Drop okra in the pan for a few seconds and remove right away. Put immediately in a colander and run cold water over it or put it in a bowl with iced water. Leave to drain well or you can spread it on clean kitchen paper or towel to dry. Put in a plastic bag and remove excess air. Spread the okra pieces in the bag so that they don’t form any clumps. Close well and place in freezer. To defrost, just get the bag out of freezer and leave it until ice melts

Storing okra

Store at room temperature or in the fridge for 2 days.

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