As my farming friend Tom Ruggieri very aptly said "water is the enemy of okra!" The recipe below is via Tom from a friend of his.
Wok Fried Okra
Cooking okra with water will bring out the slimy texture we all hate. Okra needs to be cooked with dry heat and the easiest way I have found is to cook it in the wok with a little oil.
Wash and dry the okra. I leave the cap on but cut off most of the stem, then slice into 3/4 quarter inch pieces. Heat the wok on high and add 1/2 to 1 Tbsp of oil, corn or canola works well with the high heat. Just before the oil starts to smoke add the okra and saute, stirring frequently.
It takes about 10 minutes at most and the okra will start to get black edges and soft. Add a sprinkling of kosher salt, stir and it's ready to eat. I like to add 1/2 tsp of an Indian spice mixture called Pickle Masala after I stir in the salt. It can be purchased at the local middle eastern market.
Woks rule!
