| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 55 min |
| Active: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 6 to 8 servings |
Ingredients
- One 6-ounce can tomato paste
- 1 large clove garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- 2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried mustard
- 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 1/2 pounds okra (about 26 pieces)
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Lemon wedges, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Add the tomato paste, garlic, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 5 ounces of water to a medium saucepan. Stir to combine. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until fragrant and just starting to boil, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
- Combine the cornmeal, flour, dried basil, garlic powder, dried mustard, cayenne pepper and dried thyme in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Add 2 cups water to a medium pot over medium-high heat. Place a 10-inch bamboo steamer over the pot. Working in batches, add the okra, cover and steam until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.
- Pour enough vegetable oil into a medium, heavy-bottomed pot to reach 3 inches deep. Heat over medium-high heat until the oil reaches a temperature of 365 degrees F.
- Dip each piece of okra into the tomato paste mixture and then roll in the cornmeal mixture. Working in batches, fry the okra until golden brown and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Season the fried okra with 1 teaspoon of salt. Place on a serving platter with lemon wedges if using.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 417 |
| Total Fat | 21 g |
| Saturated Fat | 2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 52 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 327 mg |
Reviews
Different take on traditional breaded okra. Will try again.
This was a tricky recipe to conquer, but well worth the effort. The temperature of the oil must be spot on or you risk burning or causing the batter to fall off. I would suggest dipping the okra in cornstarch first to give the tomato paste mixture something to stick to. I really like the flavor, since I usually dip my okra into a seasoned ketchup after it is fried. This was much better. This will make it to my table many more times, yum.
Not good at all. Will never try this again.