This morning I went to the Asian grocery store to get some wanton skins because I was intending to make Sweet Crispy Wanton Strips and got distracted by all the other things in the store - as usual. Among the things which were not on my shopping list that went into the shopping cart was okra - or lady’s finger as it is known in Singapore. It’s been sometime now since I last cooked okra mainly because they either looked unappealing or were too expensive. Since the price and looks were right, I decided to buy some and cook Egg Fried Okra.

 My mom used to fry okra this way and we (my siblings and I) loved it as kids. Now my kids love this dish as well. In fact, they will eat this with just plain white rice and be content. If you like okra, then you’ll probably like this dish. However, not everybody likes okra. Some people don’t like okra very much because it has a distinctive mucilage especially if you cook cut okra. Cooked whole in curries, this mucilage is not very evident. However, okra has many health benefits. Here is an excerpt and the link if you’re interested in finding out more about the health benefits of eating okra.

Besides being low in calories it is aplenty with vitamins of the category A, Thiamin, B6, C, folic acid, riboflavin, calcium, zinc and dietary fiber. Eating okra is much recommended for pregnant woman besides other for it is rich in folic acid which is essential in the neural tube formation of the fetus during 4-12 weeks of gestation period in the mother’s womb.

Ingredients

1/2 lb okra - washed and cut diagonally - 1 inch thick slices
8 - 10 baby carrots or 1 medium carrot(optional) - peeled and cut diagonally about 1/2 inch in thickness
1/2 medium sized onion - sliced thinly
1 garlic - chopped fine
1 green chili - halved vertically (optional)
2 eggs - lightly beaten
salt to taste
1 tbsp oil
6 tbsp water as allowance

Method:

1. Heat oil in pot. Add onions and garlic. Fry till onions are soft and fragrant.
2. Add the carrots and cook for about 3 - 5 minutes. If the carrots are still very hard, add about 2 tablespoon of water from allowance and cook covered about 2 minutes.
3. Add chili, okra, 2-3 tbsp water and salt. Stir, cover and lower heat. Cook okra for about 4 minutes or until almost cooked.
4. Add a pinch of salt to the lightly beaten egg.
5. Pour the egg over the okra. Do not stir. Cover the pot.
6. In 2 - 3 minutes, open the lid. The egg should have almost cooked to a soft omelet texture. Turn off the fire. Stir to mix the egg and the vegetables.
7. Serve hot with rice.

Tips:

• Don’t cook the okra on high heat. It will reduce the health benefits the mucilage has.
• If you prefer your carrots more crunchy, don’t add the water. But make sure you stir occasionally or the onions will stick to the base of the pot and burn.
• Don’t overcook the okra. Overcooked okra looks unappealing.