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I don't particularly mind the slime in okra, but my wife hates it. Is there a proven technique for reducing the sliminess?

I do wish to make an Indian simmered curry (Bhindi) with it, so frying is out.

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    Fry it first, then put it in the curry?
    – Joe
    Aug 9, 2013 at 2:09
  • I'm with your wife on this: I don't feel any need in my life to eat snot.
    – Marti
    Aug 9, 2013 at 13:27

4 Answers 4

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If you're simmering it in a decent amount of liquid for a while, like curry, the slimy stuff (mucilage) will all go out into the curry and end up just thickening it. The okra itself won't be slimy. This is one of the traditional ways to thicken gumbo! Even just stewed okra, with a decent amount of tomatoey goop, usually isn't very slimy.

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  • Playing around with the current recipe, I have been simmering it for about a half hour and the okra is very slimy. There's enough liquid that it's fully submerged.
    – Jeff Axelrod
    Aug 8, 2013 at 23:29
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    Become one with the slime! :-)
    – SAJ14SAJ
    Aug 9, 2013 at 0:11
  • @SAJ14SAJ tell my wife that, not me. I think it just required more simmering time. After about 45 minutes or so the slime seemed to further release from the okra and meld with the sauce. My wife still didn't eat hardly any of the okra :)
    – Jeff Axelrod
    Aug 9, 2013 at 0:43
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    @JeffAxelrod I suppose I could've tried to be more specific than "a while". But all I really remember is stews of the "forget about it on the stove" type work out.
    – Cascabel ♦
    Aug 9, 2013 at 1:14
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My tips:

  1. Do not wash the okra. Just brush off any dirt and wipe with a paper towel.
  2. Wait to cut until it's almost time to cook it. Letting it sit around makes it slimier.
  3. Make sure you have some acid in your recipe (tomatoes, lemon/lime juice, vinegar, etc.). This will cut down on the sliminess.
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I love okra in gumbos, soups, curries, etc. But I also dislike the sliminess. And even though it will cook into most broths so that the okra itself is not slimy the actual texture or feel of the broth will be different.

What I have found that works very well is to dry fry the okra before adding to a recipe. Done properly, dry frying should in no way compromise or change the okra other than to remove the slimy liquid.

Simply slice the okra and heat over medium heat in a dry (no oil or water) non-stick skillet and cook tossing or turning until the liquid has been eliminated. You can then add your okra to your recipe. (Doesn't take much time.) The okra will be intact but with no slime or change in the texture or feel of the broth. Plus, you wont't have to adjust any other thickening agents or change your recipe in any other way.

Hope this helps!

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  • I'll give it a try!
    – Jeff Axelrod
    Aug 12, 2014 at 12:06
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I agree with @Paul,

Adding a bit of vinegar/lemon, and heating the cut okra in dry non-stick pan/skillet, takes out the sliminess.

PS: while doing above, if the slime sticks to the spatula/spoon, then use the tissue to wipe it from time to time to take take out the stickiness.

Another way is to cut the okra length wise instead of cutting it in in small. This doesnt cut the seeds, which is the main culprit oozing the mucilage...

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