Hey all! I’ve been cooking up a storm over the holidays, peanut butter oatmeal cookies, oatmeal raisin chocolate chip cookies, orange scones, double chocolate cupcakes, chickpea curry, potato tofu miso stew, lasagna, stuffed mushrooms, tofu scramble, french toast, squash soup, falafel, chickpea cutlets, and okra curry. Needless to say my mother hasn’t had to lift a finger… at least not in the kitchen :) I should have been taking pictures of the stuff I had never made before, but instead I didn’t, except for the okra curry which I made tonight.
Okra is an amazing vegetable it has a very unique and rich flavor, but whatever you do make sure you get the fresh or frozen stuff, not the canned okra… that is a really bad idea! Okra is high in folate, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, vitamin B6, thiamin, riboflavin, iron, potassium, and magnesium. It’s also a great source of protein (with 2 grams per 100 grams of okra) as well as –more obviously– fiber.
3-4 cups of okra
1 large spanish onion, chopped
1 shallot, chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large tomato, chopped
1 Tbsp whole cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. garam masala
salt to taste
Cut the tops and tips off the okra, and cut them widthwise into 1cm thick rounds, or cut larger segments in half lengthwise, I like to mix it up and do both. Add some oil to a large pan or pot, put on medium heat and add the cumin seeds, when they’ve browned add the onion, shallot and garlic. Sautee for 7-10 minutes, until the onions have browned, reduce the heat slightly and add the tomato, okra and spices. Mix well and cover, continue stirring occasionally for 10-15 minutes, until the okra is soft and the seeds have started to separate from the okra. You may need to add a little water (one or two tablespoons) while cooking to keep things from sticking too much to the pot.
This recipe is not spicy, if you like more heat (as I do, but my family does not) double the chili powder, add another 1/2 Tbsp of garam masala, and add a few chopped jalapeño peppers when frying the onions. Serve with either rice or naan bread.
