Grits and okra can be found all over the South. In an effort to come up with something new, I whipped together this recipe. I exclude the tomatoes and onion when I cook it for the kids.
| Prep Time: | 20 mins |
| Cook Time: | 10 mins |
| Total Time: | 30 mins |
| Servings: | 6 |
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh okra, sliced into 1/8-inch pieces
- 1 large tomato, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 6 packets instant grits
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- salt and black pepper to taste
- ½ cup oil for frying, or as needed
Instructions
- Combine okra, tomato, and onion in a large bowl. Add grits, eggs, salt, and pepper and mix with your hands until well blended. Shape the mixture into 2 1/2-inch-wide patties, about half as large as a hamburger.
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add fritters and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip with a spatula and cook until browned on the other side, about 5 more minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately.
- We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. Amount will vary depending on cooking time and temperature, ingredient density, and specific type of oil used.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 196 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 36 g |
| Cholesterol | 62 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Sodium | 343 mg |
| Sugars | 4 g |
| Fat | 4 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
They are soooo tasty! I did use regular corn meal because I had no grits, but it was just as good! I might have added a wee bit more salt, and will do that the next time. Also, I added a wee bit of corn starch to crisp them up and was not disappointed! I used my cherry/pear tomatoes out of my garden and put them and the onion is a food processor…..perfect! I will make these again!
OK, I tried to make these….even after reading the comments and found all of the comments about too much okra and too dry to be TRUE. However with okra that needed used I proceeded to see if I could salvage this dish. I used 1 lb. of okra sliced 1/4″ thick; added all 6 pks of instant grits; salt and pepper, 1 tsp and 1/4 tsp respectively. I used the 2 eggs and about 3/4 cup of buttermilk. I did not use the tomato or onion, but in retrospect the onion would have been good–pureed. And if you did use tomato then I’d cut back on liquid. And cook time is 3-4 minutes per side. They were tastier if not cooked to death at 5 mins per side. In the end it was good and my family said they liked it better than just breading and frying okra like it is usually served. However mind did not look at all “batter-y” like the photo provided. I think that could be the type of instant grits or some flour was added to achieve that–my best guess. Either way the original recipe is not viable. But with some adjustments it can be very tasty.
This didn’t go well for me. Disclaimer: I didn’t use tomatoes or onions because nobody else in my family likes them. I think the biggest problem was the amount of okra. 2 lbs seems like WAY too much (at least when you don’t use the other ingredients?) I could not seem to get them easily formed into patties at all. We tried adding more grits and another egg to no avail. Finally I was able to do a few by getting my hands wet under the sink. That seemed to give them enough moisture to work into pitiful crumbling masses. LOL. The end result wasn’t horrible and the family ate them pretty well (nobody complained!) — Overall, I would consider trying this recipe again, but I think next time I will only use 1 lb of okra and perhaps try adding another vegetable (like corn) to see how that works out.
I just made this tonight using the okra, tomatoe, and onion from my CSA. It was delicious :). After reading other reviews, I added 3 eggs instead of 2. My fritters did not fall apart and were wonderful. Thanks for the recipe.
I love Okra anything! The flavor was good but they fell apart while I cooked them. I made as written maybe someone has a trick to make them stay together?
This is the first time I ate okra, let alone cook it.It is a strange vegetable. The skin is tough and stringy. However, surprisingly this recipe turned out pretty tasty
This was such a big hit! I added a little bit of bacon grease. And I also precooked my onions and okra, just to soften it up a bit. My family demands that I make this again and again and again… UPDATE: I made these again last weekend with http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Grandpas-Tomato-Gravy/Detail.aspx , and it was a match made in heaven.
Different and if you love okra a wonderful something different.
Hi Tiger: Sorry, I have not had time to try this recipe yet! Being from So.Georgia myself, I like okra prepared any way I can find it. I think this recipe is going to be wonderful. I will come back when I’ve tried it and update. Best wishes, Larry