Madhur Jaffrey's Sweet and Sour Okra

"I love okra and this is a really good to way to prepare it. You can add more red-pepper if you like more heat."
 
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photo by Susie D photo by Susie D
photo by Susie D
photo by Susie D photo by Susie D
Ready In:
30mins
Ingredients:
12
Serves:
4
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ingredients

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directions

  • If fresh okra is used, trim off any tough stems.
  • If frozen okra is used, defrost and drain.
  • Cut each pod into 3/4 inch lengths.
  • Put the garlic, pepper flakes and three tablespoons of water in the blender and blend as thoroughly as possible.
  • Empty the mixture into a small bowl and add the ground cumin, coriander and turmeric and blend well.
  • Heat the oil over medium high heat in a nine inch skillet and add the whole cumin seeds.
  • Cook briefly until the seeds start to sizzle and add the spice paste.
  • Cook, stirring, about one minute.
  • Add the okra, salt, sugar and lemon juice and the remaining four tablespoons of water.
  • Stir to blend.
  • Bring to a simmer, cover closely and cook over very low heat about ten minutes.

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Reviews

  1. Score! This is an over the wall home run recipe! Man oh man are these pods good. If you like okra you will adore this dish. My pods were tiny so I just cut them in half. A tip Ihave learned is the less you mess with cut okra pods the less slimy it will be so toss and stir as little as possible. Terrific dish. Loved it.
     
  2. What a great recipe for okra! I knew that this was a winner before I tried it as I trust any recipe by Madhur Jaffrey. That it had Chef Kate's personal seal of approval was just one more assurance for me, and I was not disappointed. I did not trim my okra as they were baby pods, and completely delectable. The spicy paste permeated the pods and turned a vegetable that I love any way, into a wonderful new dish that I can't wait to make again. The recipe could not be any easier to make and - you have to try this the next day, if you have leftovers, as a cold antipasti-type salad. Absolutely super!
     
  3. I think I just found my favorite okra recipe ever! This is a 10 star in my book. I have had okra in many forms, but this puts a whole new spin on okra. I loved the cumin flavor and slight heat and didn't find it particularly sweet or sour. I thought DH might not care for it, but he rated it 5 stars too. Thank you Kate for a recipe that will be my first choice when I have fresh okra!
     
  4. This is good. I used defrosted frozen okra that was pretty small but I did cut them. Instead of red pepper flakes I used some cayenne pepper powder as I didn't have any but I think it would go better with the flakes. I used all ground cumin as I need to buy more whole! Used freshly ground coriander, canola oil to be peanut and soy free, sea salt, white sugar, plus the rest. I served it with recipe#150810 and it went quite well. Made for Veggie Swap 31 ~ February 2011.
     
  5. Yummy! This was tasty and very easy. I used frozen okra so mine was a little more slimey than if I had been able to get fresh, but as it was, I had to go to 4 different grocery stores before I found any at all! Very well balanced flavors and I actually thought the mucilage helped- the spices and garlic paste really stuck to the okra. I used unfiltered peanut oil, which I really recommend, since it has more peanut flavor and that really combines well with the okra. We served with cauliflower (a variation of Cauliflower with Five Spices #82836) and a lamb curry. This made a lovely warm weather meal and I will probably make this again this summer. Maybe I'll be able to get some fresh okra... Thanks!
     
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Tweaks

  1. This is good. I used defrosted frozen okra that was pretty small but I did cut them. Instead of red pepper flakes I used some cayenne pepper powder as I didn't have any but I think it would go better with the flakes. I used all ground cumin as I need to buy more whole! Used freshly ground coriander, canola oil to be peanut and soy free, sea salt, white sugar, plus the rest. I served it with recipe#150810 and it went quite well. Made for Veggie Swap 31 ~ February 2011.
     

RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

<p>I have always loved to cook. When I was little, I cooked with my Grandmother who had endless patience and extraordinary skill as a baker. And I cooked with my Mother, who had a set repertoire, but taught me many basics. Then I spent a summer with a French cousin who opened up a whole new world of cooking. And I grew up in New York City, which meant that I was surrounded by all varieties of wonderful food, from great bagels and white fish to all the wonders of Chinatown and Little Italy, from German to Spanish to Mexican to Puerto Rican to Cuban, not to mention Cuban-Chinese. And my parents loved good food, so I grew up eating things like roasted peppers, anchovies, cheeses, charcuterie, as well as burgers and the like. In my own cooking I try to use organics as much as possible; I never use canned soup or cake mix and, other than a cheese steak if I'm in Philly or pizza by the slice in New York, I don't eat fast food. So, while I think I eat and cook just about everything, I do have friends who think I'm picky--just because the only thing I've ever had from McDonald's is a diet Coke (and maybe a frie or two). I have collected literally hundreds of recipes, clipped from the Times or magazines, copied down from friends, cajoled out of restaurant chefs. Little by little, I am pulling out the ones I've made and loved and posting them here. Maybe someday, every drawer in my apartment won't crammed with recipes. (Of course, I'll always have those shelves crammed with cookbooks.) I'm still amazed and delighted by the friendliness and the incredible knowledge of the people here. 'Zaar has been a wonderful discovery for me.</p>
 
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