The Okra or Lalo in creole is a popular vegetable in Mauritius. It can be cooked in so many ways, from sautéed, to fried to oven baked into Okra chips. However with the summer kicking in on the island, we want to take a refreshing route with this recipe. It is easy, slightly tangy, juicy, yet also crunchy at the same time! Don’t wait any longer, try this refreshing Okra salad aka Salad lalo Recipe as we call it in Mauritius.
The Virtues of the Okra
Okras have many benefits! Not only versatile in cooking, it is rich in fiber (helping those with digestion issues), antioxidants, vitamin C and much more, as per Health Line. Mauritius is known for having a high rate of diabetes, many live with elevated sugar levels. But here is where the Okra is beneficial – this vegetable which is biologically classified as a fruit, is good for helping regulate blood glucose levels. Can you relate to this? If yes, try adding Okra to your daily/weekly diet.
Fun fact that you may already know, the Okra is also called the Lady’s Finger – probably for it’s very elegant and delicate looking shape? Shout out to all the ladies!
Tips & Tricks
The Okra salad can accompany a stew and rice
You can also make this and spread it on top of a salad made of lettuce, tomatoes, rockets
Accompany this Okra Salad with a few slices of crunchy toast
Now let’s get down to the refreshing Okra Salad aka Salad Lalo recipe shall we?
Refreshing Okra Salad aka Salad Lalo
Course: From The Kitchen, Something LightDifficulty: Easy3
persons20
minutesIngredients
10-15 Okras
¼ onion finely sliced
½ lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
- Rinse the Okra pieces and let soak for a 10-15 mins
- Drain and cut the okra in half or into thirds if they’re quite long
- Fill a pot with water and place on the stove on high heat until it comes to a boil
- Once boiling, put in the Okra pieces and let boil for approximately 7-7.5 mins until the okra is soft, checking every few mins with a fork
- In the mean time add your thin onions slices in a bowl, the freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil. Mix and let the dressing marinate. This helps to soften the strong raw onion flavor
- Once the okra is ready, drain and place on a plate to cool
- Then add in the okra to your onion mixture and mix well until well incorporated and you’re good to go!
Notes
- * Add the oil slowly so as to emulsify the mixture and to prevent the oil from splitting.
