Editor’s word: Welcome again to Dinner Tonight, a column that we have revived in response to the truth that the coronavirus pandemic has compelled folks the world over to restrict themselves to their houses, together with our recipe builders. Each column will function a recipe that one in all our recipe builders has made for their very own dinner. Unlike the opposite recipes on the positioning, these recipes will not have gone by the rigorous testing we apply to our ordinary recipes, and they’re going to typically lean closely on pantry staples.
One of the primary issues I purchased when it grew to become clear we would must isolate at house was a few baggage of frozen okra, and I do not actually know why.
I like okra lots, positive, however of the various meals that appeared affordable to replenish on, like beans and pasta and rice—oh god, I did not purchase sufficient rice—frozen okra does not look like it could be excessive on the checklist of any however probably the most rabid okra-lover.
Anyway, these baggage of frozen okra ended up taking over some prime freezer actual property, which meant (a few of) the okra needed to go, so this is what I made with it.
This is how I often put together the frozen okra I purchase, which comes as little entire pods (versus pre-sliced). There are fewer seeds, which is sort of unhappy, however, then again, I’ve discovered I want cooking the entire mini okra than cut-up mature okra, because the entire pods do not launch that mucilaginous stuff—which, do not get me improper, I’m a fan of in sure contexts however not on a regular basis.
That being mentioned, frozen reduce okra would work right here, too, as would any frozen greens. This is principally only a flavorful sauce during which any sort of vegetable might be cooked to good impact. The solely factor to remember is that the greens, no matter they’re, are greatest when on the sweeter aspect, as that sweetness is very nice when paired with the warmth from the chili, the spices, and the acidity of the tomatoes. What meaning is good inexperienced beans would work nicely whereas a canned or dried bean is perhaps too starchy and never candy sufficient for this explicit preparation.
The spice combination I take advantage of consists of spices that many, many individuals might need readily available at any given time, given how ubiquitous coriander and cumin are in various totally different cuisines. If you do not have the cardamom, that is wonderful—skip it.
For the tomato within the recipe, you need to be happy to make the most of no matter you’ve got: You can use home made tomato sauce, pizza sauce, or the jarred stuff, however it’s also possible to use a tomato purée (like passatta or simply some canned entire tomatoes you have blitzed in a blender).
My spouse and I ate this okra wrapped in frozen store-bought parathas since I used to be feeling lazy, however you can also make your individual parathas, wrap the okra in a pita, and even wrap it in a tortilla (or add it to a quesadilla!). It’s additionally fairly good over rice, particularly when you’ve got some achaar, or Indian pickles, in your fridge, though one thing acidic and pickle-y of virtually any variety could be good with it, too.
