Recipe - Indian Okra And Tomatoes

2 teaspoon Cumin seed
2 teaspoon Coriander seed
One half teaspoon Fennel seed
One half teaspoon Ground cayenne
One fourth teaspoon Turmeric
3 tablespoon Vegetable oil
One half pound Okra; trimmed and left
whole, or one pkg whole
frozen
2 cup Finely chopped onion
2 Cloves pressed garlic
1 tablespoon Grated fresh ginger
1 One half 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 tablespoon Chopped cilantro

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 nonstick skillet
over mediumhigh 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 EATL Digest by Jo McGinnis JMcGinnis@BASIX.COM on Aug 1, 1997