Okra rice with tomatoes – A vegan rice dish

Last Updated on June 10, 2021 by Sindhu

An easy one-pot rice dish with Okra and Tomatoes. A quick Vegan, Gluten-free dish ready in under 15 minutes. Perfect for weekday dinner.

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The first thing that reminds me about okra is the Indian saying which says, “Eating okra makes you intelligent.”

Okra is one of the oldest vegetables being cultivated and is extensively used in various cuisines around the globe.

They are slender pods that look like fingers and have white seeds inside them. The outer skin is covered with very tiny white hair like fuzz.

Even though the origin of okra is still disputed, it was first found in Africa and South Asian countries. Later it was introduced to the Southern States of the USA and it became a staple here.

It grows well in tropical weather and some of the most famous okra dishes are Gumbo, Fried okra, Okra with Tomatoes, Pickled okra, and stew.

Growing up, okra aka Ladies’ finger was one of my favorite vegetables.
It is used extensively in Indian cuisine. It is mostly roasted, fried, or made into a curry or stew.

What does Okra taste like

Okra has that mild grassy and green flavor. The flavor is a bit similar to green beans especially when they are raw. Some even find okra and eggplant flavor to be similar, which I don’t agree upon.

To be frank, okra has its unique flavor which cannot be compared to any other vegetable.

Whereas coming to the texture, it largely depends on the cooking method.

Because of the high water content in okra, its texture is crunchy when cooked for a short period of time and it becomes soft and tender when cooked for a long duration because of the mucilaginous property of okra pods. But frying imparts a nutty flavor to okra.

Okra vs Chinese okra

Okra and Chinese okra are two completely different vegetables.

Chinese okra is also called Sponge gourd or Ridge gourd and it belongs to the Cucumber family.

It looks like zucchini with ridges. And it is quite big compared to regular okra.

Is Okra a pepper

No, okra is not a pepper.

Even though it looks similar to peppers, both of them are not related. Okra is not spicy at all.

Okra is also called ladies’ finger as its shape resembles a finger.

Other names for Okra

Okra is also called Ochro, Okro, Gumbo, ladies’ finger, Okuru.

It is known as Bendakaya in Telugu, Vendakkai in Tamil, Vendakka in Malayalam, Bendekai in Kannada, Bhindi in Hindi, Bhendi in Marathi, and Bhinda in Gujarathi.

Okra Slime

For most of them, it is either Love it or Hate it when it comes to Okra slime.

Since Okra is a mucilaginous vegetable it has that gooey and slimy texture. Other mucilaginous foods include Figs, Flax seeds, Chia seeds, Aloe vera.

This mucilage is a fat-soluble compound that can be digested and have health benefits.

All is good if you enjoy it, but if you are someone who doesn’t like the Gooey texture, these tips are for you!

How to get rid of okra slime

1. The addition of acidic foods such as lemon, tomatoes, and vinegar will help cut down the slime.
2. Making sure the okra is completely dry before chopping them also helps in reducing the slime when they are cooked.
3. It is best to add salt in the end. Because salt makes okra more tender and gooey when added initially.
4. Cooking them on high flame for a short duration, just like stir-frying also helps in getting slime-free okra.
   

Okra rice with tomatoes recipe

Steps

1. Heat oil in a pan and then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds.

2. Once mustard and cumin seeds splutter, add chopped okra (about 1 inch pieces) and 1 green chili.

3. Next, add Turmeric and let okra cook without covering with a lid. Covering it with lid will make okra mushy and doesn’t have that crunchy texture when mixed with rice.

4. After 3 minutes or when okra is done 50%, move okra to the side of the pan.

5. Add chopped tomato (canned tomato or tomato puree can also be used).

6. Once tomato becomes mushy, add red chili powder and salt. Paprika can also be used instead of chili powder.

7. Add cooked and cooled rice. Adding hot rice will make the texture mushy.

8. Mix it gently and okra rice is ready to be served.

Lets get to cooking!