Spicy Okra

Okra (also known as "bhendi" in Hindi and "vendaikkai" in Tamil) is a popular choice in Indian cooking. It's a versatile vegetable that can be cooked in several ways - in curries, stuffed and dry roasted or just stir-fried with some basic spices. The last one is the version i keep coming back to when i make okra. I love the fact that a simple, uncomplicated recipe with minimal ingrdients can yield such an amazing dish! :) And given the minimal use of oil, there is no guilty feeling to fend off.

The only thing to be wary of is the kind of okra that you buy - you need to pick those that are tender for best results. To test, gently press the center part of the okra - you should be able to press it easily without effort. If it feels hard, don't pick it. As i learnt from experience, the hard ones can ruin the dish.


Ingredients:
250gms Okra
1 to 1 -1/2 tsp Chilli powder (*as per your chilli tolerance)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (also known as jeera)
Salt, to taste
a pinch of Turmeric powder
Oil, as needed

Making the Spicy Okra:
Wash the okra and put them on a clean tea towel. Pat dry the pieces until there is absolutely no water on the vegetables - this is important to ensure they don't get mushy when you cook them. Cut off the ends and discard them, and then cut the okra into even-sized pieces. Put a non-stick utensil on medium heat and add in about 2 tsp of oil. Add in the cumin seeds and stir. When the cumin seeds start to sputter, tip in the okra and toss around until all the pieces are well coated with the oil. Add the salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder and toss well to ensure the okra pieces are well-coated with the spices. Turn off the heat and put the okra pieces into a microwave-proof bowl. Cover the bowl and pop into the microwave on High for 2 to 2-1/2 mins. Take out once its done, add a tsp of oil and mix well. Put the vessel back in the microwave - this time without the lid - on High for 1-1/2 to 2 mins. Once its done, take out and serve. Enjoy it as a side dish with rice or bread or just add a dollop of yoghurt to it

Posted by Yamini V
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Okra With Tomatoes And Shallots

I rarely cook okra (ladies' fingers) these days because the way I like it - cut into small bits and sauteed thoroughly until crisp - takes a lot of time. It also means I have to use up the okra I've bought right away because they seem to toughen otherwise.

Today I used a packet I've had for a week. This is a recipe that's very simple to put together and for the first time, I used shallots instead of onion and a bit of spice in addition to the salt, turmeric and red chilli powder. I loved it even though it turned out a little more spicy than I intended it to.

Prepare the okra by washing them and drying them thoroughly. Spread them on a piece of cloth or newspaper and let them dry for a while to be extra sure. They're famous for their slime and you don't want that!

You can top and tail the okra, even retain the pointy tops.

Okra, cut into 1-inch pieces: 2 cups (You can even MW them after cutting them, for 30 secs, just to zap any stray water off them)
Sour tomatoes, quartered: 2 handfuls
Shallots, peeled: 6-10

Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Salt: To taste
Chilli powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4-1/2 tsp

Oil: 2 tsp
Mustard seed: 1/2-1 tsp
Cumin: 1/2 tsp

Heat the oil and pop the mustard and then the cumin.

Saute the shallots just till they turn colour.

Add the tomatoes, cook till they start getting soft.

Add the spices and mix well.

Now add the okra and saute well. There will be a little goo but don't worry, it will disappear soon. Keep sauteing till the goo goes off.

Lower the flame and let the flavours meld for a while before switching off the heat.

They were somewhat al dente as they weren't fresh but I quite liked the texture!

Bon appetit!


Here's a little more complicated dish with okra and tamarind.

Saim & Okra

It is funny how we gravitate to certain things when we are away from home or thinking of loved ones. My mom loves saim, a type of string bean. For my part, I'd eat it but it is not one of those things that I'd buy regularly. However, whenever I see saim in the market here in Barbados, I almost always buy it, just because it reminds me of home and my mom. She'd always cook it curried with shrimp or beef as it is a bean that stands up to long cooking. I too curried mine but without any meat and cooked it with coconut milk. The coconut milk really enhanced the flavour and gave the bean some body. But then again, everything tastes better with coconut milk, doesn't it? :)

For the curry:

1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
2 tablespoons curry paste (recipe follows)

Salt to taste

1 lb saim with tips and seams removed; pulled apart
3 cups fresh coconut milk (dilute if using canned coconut milk)


For curry paste:-

• Grind together 2 large cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, hot pepper to taste and 2 - 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro to make a paste.
• Add 1 heaped tablespoon ground garam masala and 1 heaped teaspoon ground turmeric along with a few drops of water to the herb paste and mix together to form a paste (if you have more paste than you need, reserve the excess in an air-tight container for later use).

DIRECTIONS

1. Add oil to pan and heat until hot but not smoking; add curry paste and saute for 1 - 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low because you don't want to burn the spices
2. Season with salt to taste for the entire dish
3. Add saim and toss to coat with sauteed curry paste. Let continue to cook for 3 - 4 minutes, tossing intermittently
4. Turn up heat to high, pour in coconut milk and scrape the bottom of the pan with spoon to release any bits that may have been stuck. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let cook until all the liquid has dried out
5. Serve with rice or roti

Now this second meal is one which I cook at least once a week. I love, love, love okras and cook it weekly. Sometimes, I'd just steam it and have it with my meal.

There are many dal recipes out there so I am not going to post another one here. What I will say is that I sauteed a large onion and three green tomatoes before adding the dal and cooking it all together. The green tomatoes gave a dal a delightfultang and I added a bit of palm sugar to balance it. To temper the dal, I used mustard seeds, whole cumin and sliced garlic.

For the Sauteed Okra:

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 cup diced onions

2 cloves garlic crushed

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1 lb okra, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oil in pan until hot (until shimmering)
2. Add onions and saute until until translucent
3. Add thyme and garlic and saute for 1 minute
4. Add okra, toss to coat, reduce heat to medium and let cook for 8 - 10 minutes tossing a couple of times
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat
6. Serve with rice, roti, bread etc.