Indian okra and tomatoes

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 teaspoons Cumin seed
2 teaspoons Coriander seed
½ teaspoon Fennel seed
½ teaspoon Ground cayenne
¼ teaspoon Turmeric
3 tablespoons Vegetable oil
½ pounds Okra; trimmed and left whole, or one pkg whole frozen
2 cups Finely chopped onion
2 Cloves pressed garlic
1 tablespoon Grated fresh ginger
1½ cup Finely chopped peeled fresh; or 1 small can whole tomatoes
Salt to taste
1 cup Hot water (or use juice from canned tomatoes if using them)
3 tablespoons Chopped cilantro

Directions

Here is another recipe for okra lovers. The original recipe came from the Julie Sahni book of Indian Cooking (I have both of them and can't remember which one this is from). It has been adapted to our tastes.

Grind cumin, coriander and fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle. Mix with cayenne and turmeric and reserve. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the okra in a single layer and fry without stirring for 1 minute. (If using frozen okra, thaw enough to separate, rinse to get rid of any remaining frost crystals and pat dry with paper towels before browning.) Continue cooking for 3 or 4 minutes more, turning the okra until lightly browned. Remove the okra from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the onion to the hot oil and cook until light golden, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns caramel brown, about 8 - 10 minutes.

Add the spice mixture and stir for a few seconds, then add the tomatoes.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until mixture thickens and become pulpy. Add the fried okra, salt, and hot water.

Stir to mix and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and cook, covered, until the okra is tender (about 20 minutes) and the sauce is thick. Stir in a little of the cilantro and garnish the dish with what's left.

Serve with white or brown basmati rice.

Posted to EAT-L Digest by Jo McGinnis <JMcGinnis@...> on Aug 1, 1997

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