Okra by Candlelight

I had never had anything to do with okra, despite growing up in the South. I had always heard the term “slimy” applied to this vegetable, making it not terribly appealing. I would probably never have bought it at a grocery store. But there it was in my CSA crate, a package of little green things.

A Google of “okra recipes” quickly introduced me to a vegetable with its roots in Africa, which seemed to pair well with curry. I read over a few recipes, not realizing that by the time I started to cook my okra, our power would have failed and I would not be able to access anything on my computer.

Fortunately we have a gas cooktop, so despite the lack of light, I determined we would eat in, albeit a little early. Here’s a rough approximation of my okra recipe, leaving it up to you to determine the quantities:

Basil olive oil
Okra, cut into ½" rounds
Red onion, shopped
Grape tomatoes, halved
Sweet curry powder
Ground cumin
Salt and pepper

Heat olive oil in an anodized pan. Add onions and saute until translucent. Move onions to the side. Add a little more olive oil. Put curry powder and cumin in the oil to release their flavor. Add okra, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium high heat for several minutes. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until okra is tender, or about 15 minutes.

The resulting ragu was sweet and delicious, not the least bit slimy. Maybe it was because the okra was fresh-picked. I will definitely not overlook this vegetable in the future!