Okra pods are a low calorie, healthy vegetable that often gets a bad rap because of the slimy mouthfeel that comes from the mucilage in this veggie. The mucilage is great for thickening gumbo! The 'slime' happens when the okra is cut open and/or comes into contact with liquid. Luckily, fried okra tends to not be slimy and that is the case with our air fryer okra as well.