Air Fryer Okra Fries - NO BREADING!

These okra fries can battle regular potato fries - they're just as crispy, savory, and satisfying, all the while providing so much more nutrients! What's even better, there will be no need for breading or any sticky mess. Simply toss them in a spices mix and cook them in an air fryer or oven.

Okras are so under-appreciated! I know some might find them underwhelming and slimy, but I LOVE okras, I love them in a curry, soup, or just simply steamed. But this recipe is not just for okra lovers like me, it's also for the okra doubters! With a few simple steps, you can turn this super nutritious and in-season vegetable into crispy, flavor-packed, and gluten-free fries that are NOT slimy at all! You can eat them with any dipping sauce you like, I paired them with my homemade vegan sriracha mayo.

The Okra fries I've had at restaurants are always cut widthwise into small slices, coated in a thick batter then deep fried. While I do love how they taste, I feel like I'm mostly just eating fried dough with a tiny bit of okra inside. So for my homemade version, I wanted to slice the okras long - resembling french fries' shape, and tossed them in a spice mixture with no breading! And they turned out perfectly crunchy, flavorful and addicting.

What is the "slime" in okra?

If you've had okras or cut them open, you would be no stranger to the sticky "slime" inside okra pods. This slime or mucilage contains soluble fiber that we can digest. While the potentially slimy texture can be controversial (I happen to really like it honestly), it's actually really beneficial to our gut health! The mucilage can help the digested food move along in our gut and ease constipation.

On top of that, okras are also a fantastic source of folate, vitamin C, B-complex group of vitamins, as well as important minerals such as iron, calcium, manganese, and magnesium, super veggie? I think so.

I'm using my air fryer in the video below but you can also make these in your oven, I will include instructions for both in the written recipe. And if you try this recipe please tag me on Instagram and Tiktok ^^

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound fresh okra

3 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon chickpea flour

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, or cornstarch

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Good pinch of salt and black pepper

For Sriracha Mayo -

2 tablespoon homemade vegan mayo

1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

TO MAKE:

- Wash and pat dry the okras, trim off the stem ends, and slice each okra length-wise into halves;

- Transfer sliced okras to a big shallow bowl, drizzle on the olive oil and thoroughly massage them to coat evenly;

- Sprinkle on the chickpea flour, arrowroot powder, and all the spices, toss and massage again to coat well;

- Arrange them in a single layer on your air fryer trays or a baking sheet;

- If using an air fryer, air fry at 400°F cut side up for 10 minutes, take them out and flip, then air fry for another 8 minutes;

- If using an oven, preheat oven at 400°F, bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until golden brown, flip halfway;

- Meanwhile, mix together the dipping sauce;

- Serve hot! They will soften a little if they're completely cooled down, just like any other type of fries, but they will NOT be soggy, just less crispy.

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VEGAN BUNNY CHEF

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