Yesterday, I went to one of my favorite places, an Indian Grocery. I love going to the Indian Grocery. The owners are super nice and the products I find there are just awesome… not to mention the prices! Well, Asia Spices had okra on sale so I just had to purchase some:) Ever since I worked at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink, I have loved making okra… and snacking on okra. Often times when it was busy at Michael’s there was not any time to eat a full meal, so I would ask the fellows at the wood fire oven station to make me some okra. Then I started working the wood fire station and I learned how to make my own roasted okra… and how to properly cut it:) When you go to Michael’s in Miami, make sure to order the roasted okra… I am going to tell you how to make it at home, but there is nothing like the flavor that is added when it is roasted in a real wood fire oven!!! ( Of course there is really nothing that is not fantastic at Michael’s … the food is always fresh and just down right delicious… even if I don’t work there anymore.. LOL)
Roasted Okra Bites
( these are great for a snack…. or a side dish)
- Whole fresh Okra ( about 1 1/2 pounds- it may seem like a lot but okra shrinks when you cook it)
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Roasted Okra…a delicious healthy snack and/or a tasty side dish!
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees (yes… 500 degrees, you want a HOT oven, at Michael’s the wood fire oven get super hot!).
Then take the bottom of your broiler pan or a heavy duty sheet pan (cookie sheet…. LOL Chef Susser- he used to always reprimand me for using the term cookie sheet, to those who are not in the industry… the term cookie sheet is not used, that item is referred to as a sheet pan) put a little extra virgin olive oil on the pan, then tilt the pan to coat most of the pan.
Then take the okra and cut it. You want to cut it on a bias. The reason for this is that when you cut it on a bias, you give the okra more exposed area, thus you get a really nice caramelization and browning on more of the okra. This really adds to the flavor of this dish. ( I learned this from Chef Black at Michael’s).
This is a piece of okra that is cut on the bias. You are going to discard the top part of the okra. Keep the bottom two pieces 
The next step is to place the cut okra in the pan. Spread the okra pieces out on the pan.
Then squirt a little more extra virgin olive oil on top of the okra pieces. ( Don’t over do the olive oil, a little goes a long way:)
Then sprinkle the okra pieces with Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.( If you do not have Maldon Sea Salt Flakes, then use a nice sea salt. This adds a great deal of flavor to the dish so don’t use table salt .)
This okra is ready to be roasted- it has been drizzled with extra virgin olive oil & sprinkled with Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
Place the pan in the preheated 500 degree oven.
Then clean up. Okra will cause your knife to get this sticky coating on it. Be careful when cleaning your knife, I cut myself during my internship when I was cleaning my knife after cutting the okra. Also, make sure to clean your cutting board right away. Okra is a sticky mess.. but the taste is well worth the few minutes it takes to clean:)
Then set the timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir the okra with a heatproof utensil. Be very careful. The pan will be extremely HOT!
After stirring the okra. Close the oven door and set the timer for another 5 minutes. Once again stir with a heatproof utensil. This time the pan will be super HOT… Be careful:)
Then close the oven door and set the timer for another 5 minutes.
When the timer goes off, take the pan out of the oven. Place pan on a heatproof surface. Then sprinkle with a bit more of the Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.
Place in a serving dish; I find that a white dish is especially nice because it brings out the lovely colors of the green okra and the dark tasty parts of the okra. Enjoy!!!
Roasted okra ready to eat!
Just in case you needed one more reason to eat okra… Okra is healthy:) Here is an interesting article about okra.. even Cleopatra ate okra for its wonderful health benefits:) http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles07/okra-health-benefits.htm
Here is a video about growing okra for my Perky Followers that grow their own food:)
I took your idea and ran with it with other veggies since I could not get to MY Indian store for fresh okra;I put it on my blog and gave you credit.Thanks!
That is great! I am going to check it out now:)
http://tonettejoycefoodfriendsfamily.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/take-a-bite-be-back-in-a-bit/
Very nice:) Thank you:) Tonette:)
Love love love Okra and loved Michael’s Genuine from Day 1 (I handled the UK PR for Greater Miami and always a fave spot)
That is fabulous:) Isn’t it funny how small the world is:) I love Michael’s Genuine:) It was such a wonderful experience working under Michael and Hedy:) The products they use are just out of this world!! I used to cut the fish for the ceviche and I NEVER smelled like fish.. my friend works at a local catering house and she hates when they serve fish, she reaks of fish after work.. not me:) They really serve the best food and talk about making things they make everything… pasta to poptarts!!! Gotta love Michael’s Genuine!
I love okra and this looks absolutely delicious. I have never thought about roasting it. And I roast all the time. Surprised at the 500 degrees!
At Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink they roasted it in the wood fire oven, which got really hot:) 500F is low compared to that:) It is the high heat the caramelizes the okra and makes it super delicious:)
When I read that I was thinking of how I wish I owned a wood fire oven! I love anything from a wood fire oven.
I concur!!!!
I’ve never tried okra roasted before. Looks delish!
Thank you, Martine:) It is one of my favorite foods!!
I have to admit that okra has never been my favorite vegetable. The last time I grew it, the stalks shot 5-6 ft high practically overnight due to our valley heat. So woody…yuk! Now I know the secret……buy okra at my local Indian grocery store. Thanks for the tip.
it’s just ‘Tonette’, Perky…the title page ran the name together and I just left it!
Oh, the incredible amounts and varieties of rice, without saying! Our closet shop is about 40 miles away.My husband goes into a ‘Marco Polo’ impression and says,”We travel far in search of spices”!
Oh I love the ” Marco Polo ” idea:) fabulous… Tonette:)
I will have to try this! Simple and sounds great.I, too, love Indian shops…the produce and spice/herb/bean/flour prices are incredibly low…and all of the other sights and aromas! Good to find someone of like mind.
Thank you Tonnettejoyce:) Indian shops are super hidden little gems:) I love buying my rice there too:) and how about the stainless steel bowls…. Great that you appreciate one of my favorite types of stores:)
[...] not a coincidence I’m pleased to say. Recently I read a post on A Perky Poppy Seed about Roasted Okra Bites, a way of cooking them that I’ve never tried before. I reckon these would be just the perfect [...]
Thank you, Johnnyenough:) Your Fragrant Puy Lentil and potato soup & roasted Okra… nice paring:) I like the way you think:) I have to try it:) Thank you:)
I’ve never made okra but I’d love to try it.
this okra recipe is forgiving… and everyone that I have given it to loves it:) the salt gives it a great flavor.. great for a football munchy with a fork:)
Adore okra! Have never had it roasted like this. If I can get my hands on some ‘Ladies fingers’ (as they’re often referred to here) I’ll definitely be trying this!
It is fantastic roasted:) I love that is is termed “Ladies Fingers”… in my opinion okra is anything but dainty:) Maybe they call it that because it is so good for the skin and everything else… a woman’s beauty secret:)
Enjoy and let me know how it comes out:) ps if you have an Indian Grocery near you they might have some:)
Reblogged this on shafiqah1 and commented:
Okra is very tasty when fried as well, or stewed with sweet corn and tomatoes, I think the way we eat it at home was passed down from my paternal grand mom. Good dishes <3
Thank you, Shafiquah, for reblogging this:) Stewed okra was how I first had it:) Very tasty.. especially with fresh corn and fresh tomato… I am originally from Pennsylvania where there is fabulous corn and tomatoes, especially in the fall:) And of course there is nothing like a recipe that was Grams:)
Cool, I am from Philadelphia, PA
great place:) my brother still lives there:) He has a solar business called Open Sky:)