Okra is one of my favorite southern foods, right along with shrimp and grits. I like it because it reminds me of nopal cactus paddles, the kind you eat. I’m always trying to figure out how to prepare so it’s not slimy! Grilling, not boiling, is a secret.
On this return from Oaxaca to North Carolina, I packed two cast iron comals in my luggage — griddles, 8-inches and 11-inches in diameter. The bigger one does the heavy lifting for surface grilling all sorts of vegetables on my electric induction heat cooktop. (Okay, it’s not gas, but it works pretty well.)
Cooked and ready to eat, grilled eggplant and okra
Of course, you have to season the comal just like you would a cast iron fry pan: over a low heat with a few tablespoons of vegetable oil for a couple of hours until the pan surface is well-coated and the oil is baked on.
Healthy, Low-Fat, Nutritious!
Yesterday, on my regular 6,000 step walk around downtown Durham, I returned via Foster Street to find the Wednesday Farmer’s Market in full swing. Green tomatoes. Red onions. Cherry tomatoes. Green and purple okra. Tiny Japanese eggplant. I could not resist that okra and the eggplant.
The Farmer’s Market is only two blocks from my apartment-condo. Walkable, and I always have to think about how much weight I’m carrying (of the vegetable variety).
How to Prepare Stove-Top Grilled Eggplant and Okra on the Comal
- Wash veggies in a water bath with 1 Tb. vinegar
- Heat the comal on low temperature until surface is hot.
- Dry veggies and add to comal.
- Drizzle veggies with 1-2 Tb. olive oil.
- Grind pink Himalayan sea salt to taste.
- With tongs, turn and move veggies periodically until all sides are evenly browned. Watch to prevent burning.
- Eggplant should turn from purple to brown all over and be soft to the touch. Okra should be crunchy, not overcooked.
- Eat now, hot off the comal, or store and serve later with rice or couscous, tossed with chopped red onion and fresh diced tomatoes.
I use the comal for any grilled and mixed grill veggie preparation: asparagus, onions, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms, for example.
Eggplant cooks first. Then add the okra.
Where to Buy a Cast Iron Comal?
