Cooked badly, okra can be slimier than a hedge fund manager, but when it’s done well it’s truly delicious. You can serve this as a side dish or have it on its own with roti and plenty of Greek yoghurt.
(Serves 4)
1 red chilli, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 2cm piece of ginger, roughly chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp nigella seeds
1 medium red onion, roughly chopped
1 400g tin plum tomatoes
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp turmeric powder
650g okra, topped and tailed then sliced into 2cm pieces
- Put the chilli, garlic and ginger in a food processor with a splash of water and blitz into a paste.
- Heat 3 tbsp of rapeseed oil in a wide frying pan and add the whole spices. Once they start to pop, add the chopped onion. Cook on a medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and lightly browned.
- Add the chilli, ginger and garlic paste and cook for another minute, then add the tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Let the tomatoes cook for around 7-8 minutes until they have broken down into a thick sauce and most of the moisture has evaporated.
- Add the okra to the pan and coat it in the sauce, then turn up the heat to maximum and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring briskly the entire time. Add a splash of water if the tomatoes look in danger of burning. Don’t worry if it gets a little charred – this will just add to the flavour. Check the seasoning and serve.
