Stir Fried Okra with Garlic, Chilies and Lime
This simple Stir-Fried Okra side dish is a healthy, delicious, and foolproof way to serve okra. It is flavored with garlic, chilies, and lime for an amazing flavor combo. As a bonus, it's vegan and paleo too!
Okra must be properly cooked to be worth eating.
Okay, that goes for any vegetable out there. The only difference is that okra, when it's NOT cooked properly, can be particularly, ummm, gross. Yep, I said it.
But … with a quick pan fry all that stickiness that gives okra a bad rap seems to vanish. What you're left with are bites of greens that have just the right amount of chew left and tons of flavor from all the other things you've stir-fried them in.
I've been obsessing with these flavors ever since I shared the recipe for Coconut Oil Fried Brussels Sprouts with Garlic, Chilies, and Lime with you a little while back. This recipe uses a whole lot less coconut oil but keeps the spicy, garlicky, tangy tastes.
I should mention that this flavor-packed (and healthy!) side dish takes only 15 minutes to whip up. Awesome, right?!
If you've ever had a bad experience with or been uncertain about trying, okra, this is a great recipe to make.
I'll admit, I'm not a southern girl who grew up eating okra in every dish imaginable. (Or at least that's what I imagine a southern American girl would eat. True?) It wasn't until my early 20s that I even tried okra, and that first experience wasn't a good one. It was the texture I just couldn't get over.
I tried it a second time when my good friend Basil invited me over for dinner. He served a Middle Eastern okra stew that his mom used to make for him when he was a kid. It was awesome. No weird slimy texture in sight.
It really is all about how you cook it.
In this recipe, the trick is not to crowd the pan. You don't want to steam them, but rather sear them quickly. See all those deliciously browned bits? That's where the flavor lies.
And the garlic, shallots, and chilies add a whole wallop of flavor too.
About the chilies … Two chilies in this dish are spicy. Not going to lie. It will burn your tongue in the most delightful way. If you're less of a masochist, you'll want to use fewer chilies, or perhaps just remove their fiery seeds.
Also, try this baked okra. It's delicious!
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Other Delicious Vegetable Side Dishes
- Sauteed Green Beans with Garlic
- Air Fryer Okra
- Orange Balsamic Roasted Okra
- Roasted Broccoli Steaks with Butter Toasted Pine Nuts
- Sauteed Asparagus with Garlic and Parmesan
Stir Fried Okra Recipe
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
- 10 ounces okra, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 inch piece of ginger, julienned
- 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1-2 red chilies, thinly sliced
- 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 handful cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half the okra, cut side facing down. After 1 minute sprinkle half the ginger, shallots, chilies and garlic over the okra. SautƩ, occasionally shaking the pan to toss the okra, for about 5 minutes, or until the okra has browned well. Set the okra aside in a bowl. Repeat with the remaining coconut oil, okra, ginger, shallots, garlic, and chilies.2 tablespoons coconut oil, 10 ounces okra, 1 inch piece of ginger, 2 medium shallots, 2 cloves garlic, 1-2 red chilies, 1 lime
- Plate the okra, squeeze some lime juice over the top and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, and a pinch of sea salt.1 lime, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, 1 handful cilantro, 1 pinch sea salt
I love Okra and this is the first I have seen it in any non-Indian dish. Cant wait to try how the taste came out.
Loving okra is really a new thing for me, but now that I do I’ve been making it all the time. I actually have another okra recipe I’m planning on sharing this week. Stay tuned!
My husband and I made this recipe after returning from Singapore. It almost tasted like the “real thing” we had at the Satay Club. The kids really loved it, too! Serve
with some Thai peanut sauce on the side and a bowl of cucumbers and onions, and you are all set!
I love that this recipe is being made all over the world! Next time I make it I’ll try it with peanut sauce and cucumbers too. š
I am a southern girl who LOVES okra in every way imaginable including that ummm……gross way. š This dish looks fabulous and I must try it come July when our Okra crop is booming! Thanks for submitting to YG and please continue to do so – Kelli from Yum Goggle
I love that you love okra for all it is! I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!!