Okra With Green Beans

Okra is the seed pod of the Abelmoschus esculentus plant. It’s filled with tiny white seeds and is sometimes called lady’s fingers due to its long, slender, tubelike shape. Native to Ethiopia, okra was brought to North America by enslaved people and settlers when they arrived centuries ago. It grows best in hot and humid climates.

Okra has a mild, almost grassy flavor that is uniquely okra. It is crunchy when cooked quickly but becomes almost mouthwateringly tender when slow-cooked.

Okra is most commonly used in soups and stews. It contains mucilage, a substance that acts as a natural thickener when heated. While this is beneficial to dishes like gumbo, it also produces the sliminess so often associated with okra. In some regions, okra is breaded and deep-fried while in other cuisines it is pickled, which is one way to cut down on its slimy consistency.

You will need to rinse and pat okra dry before cutting or slicing it. The way you slice it can vary from one household to the next, not to mention from one part of the world to another. Okra can be cut into rounds, sliced lengthwise, or cut diagonally. Of course, you can always opt to leave it whole.

I’ve cooked this today in one of my family favourites…simple and yummy.

INGREDIENTS:

Approx 30 okra topped/tailed into half.
Half cup of oil
1 bayleaf
2 dried red chilli
1 large onion finely chopped
4 cloves garlic minced/finely chopped
3 finely chopped green chillies
1 large tomato finely chopped
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Basar powder
1 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 handfull fresh coriander chopped for garnish

METHOD:

Heat a pan with oil. When hot add the dried red chilli, bayleaf and fry till it takes a little colour. Add the onions, fresh chopped chillies and garlic.

Add the salt and sugar

Continue to fry till golden colour.

Add the fresh tomatoes and spice powders. The tomatoes will release its water content that will help the spices stop burning.

Dry fry the spices for a while, stirring all the time. A few minutes. If it catches add splash of water but we want the spices to cook. Continue till the oil separates.

Now add half a cup of water.

Let this cook again on low untill the oils separates and floats to the top.

When the water has evaporated add your okra and green beans. I used frozen which provided the moisture content as it defrosted. Add splash of water if using fresh.