How to prepare cactus (nopales) pads

Very excellent vegetables available at your vegetable stores. Nopales are very good for people suffering from diabetes. It is an excellent detox for the body too.

Here we are going to see how to prepare it so put away its slimy substance.


1. Get your cactus. With a sharp knife cut off the bottom end which is not good. Then slowly scrape off the sharpy thorns on the flat sides and peel off the edge to get a rid of the thorns found there too. The resultant is almost like a large green beans

2. Take them and slize them in to little stripes. You will notice that the texture of the napoles is very slimy, that is very normal.

3. Then put the sliced pieces of cactus into a pot of water. Ensure that you add water until the water is above your sliced cactus stripes.

4. Add a bunch of cilantro with its stems intact. Two teaspoons of vinegar to tenderize the cactus, add large cut slices of onion because you will be taking it out later. Add a little salt.

5. Boil the result for 15 to 20 minutes. Initial it is green colour but as it cooks it is going to change to pale green.

6. After boiling take out the onion and the cilantro. Put in a sieve to drain out the slimy liquid then rinse under flowing cold tap water to ensure that all the sliminess is out.

7. We next are going to saute them Over medium heat in a saucepan. 

Add in a little oil in the saucepan, add   some sliced onion, salt,  pepper if you like it. If you don't like it don't add.  Then add your nopales and saute gently for 5-6 minutes. Stir until it is ready. When ready you get it and serve together with beans, rice, cocoyam or whats ever complement of your choice.