How does okra thicken

Add it to any good soup or gumbo for more body and delicious crunch. Another best practice when preparing okra is to make nice with the deep-fryer. Since heat further activates the thickening of mucilage, batter and quick-fry chopped pods to a golden brown for a crunchy and slime-free well, almost slime-free appetizer or snack.

Sign up for the best of Food Republic, delivered to your inbox Tuesday and Thursday. Home Recipes Drink Travel. Food Republic October 17, You Might Also Like. Use file powder if you do not have access to okra as file powder thickens in the same manner as okra, Use 1 tablespoon of file powder for every quart of gumbo. How do I make my gumbo base thicker? Most gumbos are thickened by making a roux, which is an equal amount of fat and flour cooked until it is a deep brown or darker, which is then added to the broth base of the gumbo.

However, there are other ways to thicken gumbo, including cornstarch and okra. Do you cook okra before adding to gumbo? Or, if you prefer a fresh, crunchy texture, you can add the gumbo with the shellfish, generally just 10 minutes before the end. You want to add enough flour to your fat until the roux is like a paste. Vegetables such as zucchini, green beans, and eggplant have a similar flavor and can replace okra as a side dish. The one thing that really defines it, though, is the way it is thickened.

Gumbo is much denser than a simple soup; the broth has a thick, almost viscous consistency. Gumbo is often cited as an example of the melting-pot nature of Louisiana cooking, but trying to sort out the origins and evolution of the dish is highly speculative. The name derives from a West African word for okra, suggesting that gumbo was originally made with okra.

Okra is more often used as a thickener in seafood gumbos than those with meat. Place okra in a saucepan; add enough water to cover the okra and salt to taste; bring the water to boil. Cover the pan and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until the okra is tender.

Drain well and, if desired, toss with a little butter. Most recipes call for equal weights of fat and flour, but making roux is not an exact science. Experienced cooks often add the flour until it looks right.

Gumbo spoils due to a number of reasons such as not refrigerating the gumbo immediately after serving or having the stock at wrong temperature before it is added to the roux. This would make it cool quickly. Cooking it more slowly over medium heat will take minutes. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. I ordered ground okra on line and tried it in a gumbo along with a light roux.

I am very pleased with the results. Be very careful with dried ground okra as it only takes a little bit to go a long way. Advise to experiment with a measuring cup of water 'til you get the consistency you like before adding to gumbo.

When added directly to gumbo it takes a few minutes to begin to thicken. It does add a bit of a savory flavor to the gumbo almost the same as fresh fried okra. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top.

Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Are there alternatives to okra as a thickening agent? Ask Question. Asked 9 years, 4 months ago. Active 2 years, 11 months ago. Viewed 18k times. Improve this question. Aaronut You may be able to find frozen, chopped Okra at your supermarket. Should work out the same Add a comment. Active Oldest Votes. Improve this answer.