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Dominican okra salad

Local name : Ensalada de molondrones

Okra boiled whole then dressed with lime, red onion and olive oil, the salad Dominican families put on the Sunday table.

VeganGluten-free#okra#lime#red onion#salad#dominican
Dominican okra salad

Photo : شيراز شوشو · CC0

Prep
10 min
Cook
10 min
Total
20 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Easy

Method

  1. Wash the okra and dry it. Leave the pods whole with their caps on, which is what keeps the mucilage inside.
  2. Bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil and drop the okra in.
  3. Give it 6 to 8 minutes depending on size. The pods should yield to a knife tip while keeping some bite.
  4. Drain and spread them on a plate to cool in the air, rather than running them under cold water.
  5. Steep the onion for 10 minutes in the juice of two limes, until it turns pink and loses its raw edge.
  6. Trim the stem end off each pod, then leave them whole or split them lengthways.
  7. Toss with the onion and its juice, the oil, garlic and salt. Add the last lime's juice and the parsley as you serve.

Okra releases its mucilage the moment you cut it, so boiling the pods whole with their caps on keeps the texture clean. Dominican cooks serve this warm rather than chilled, since cold stiffens the pods.

Nutrition · per serving

Calories
163 kcal
Protein
3 g
Fat
11.9 g
Carbohydrate
15 g
Fibre
5.3 g

An estimate computed from the recipe quantities and the USDA food composition database. Real values vary with the products used.

Frequently asked questions

Why cook the okra whole, with the caps on?

The mucilage escapes through any cut. With the pod intact and the stem end in place, it stays inside and the texture remains clean. Trim the stems only after cooking and cooling.

How do I know when the okra is done?

It should give under a knife point while keeping some bite, roughly six to eight minutes depending on size. Overcooked, it collapses and turns stringy; better to lift it out slightly firm, as it softens further while cooling.

Why cool them in the air rather than under cold water?

Cold water waterlogs them and draws the mucilage out through the cut stem. Spread on a dish, they dry at the surface and hold their shape. The salad is served warm anyway, since cold stiffens the pods.

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