okra curry

[Guest guest]

I love okra with tomatoes, and I'm planning to try this

soon.

 

 

 

 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/10/04/FD7B19R2NP.DTL

 

The Accidental Vegetarian

 

 

Making curry at home

 

Amanda Berne

 

Sunday, October 4, 2009

 

The first homemade curry I ever tasted was from a recipe out of a

Linda McCartney cookbook. Carolyn, my college roommate, was working

her way through McCartney's vegetarian recipes, though there may have

been the addition of Worcestershire sauce, an ingredient Carolyn

believed should be in everything.

 

I made rice and raita, while Carolyn measured out the spices, creating

a beautiful mosaic of rust reds, dark yellows and earthy browns.

 

It was a classic curry, with a rich, thin gravy, and the main

ingredient was chickpeas. Though not for long.

 

As usual, I began to tweak the recipe, adding vegetables, replacing

some of the liquid with coconut milk, and playing with the spices

until the dish was the way I liked it - less clove and more heat. And,

no Worcestershire.

 

The only curry I had tried before this was from a local Indian

restaurant - at the time, the only one in our area. The dishes, I

recognized later, were Northern Indian, with more cream, meat and

heavy with spice. The dishes were delicious, but dense and filling; I

never left a meal feeling less than stuffed.

 

As I kept playing with curries, and learned to enjoy more spiciness, I

craved lighter, zestier flavors. Not every dish on the table needed

sauce. That's when I discovered some of the greener dishes, often

served as a side, but definitely a meal in their own.

 

Okra is a favorite in many parts of India. A typical way of preparing

it is to slit it open, and stuff each pod with spices. Then you cook

it in a skillet until it's tender, but still fresh and crisp.

 

I borrowed some of that idea, and added some more South Indian

flavors, such as grated coconut. Instead of stuffing the okra, I

sliced them and stir-fried them with onions, tomatoes, coconut, and

spices. The result is fresh and bracingly spicy (adjust the level of

chili powder to your taste, or just leave it out completely). It's

delicious scooped up with roti or chapatti, and works beautifully

alongside a richer curry.

 

A far cry from my first curries, the accompanying recipe for

Coconut-Vegetable Curry is made with a base of pureed onion, garlic

and ginger. This is mixed with spices, and cooked in oil in a hot pan.

The oil will fully mix into the onions at first; when it separates

back out, leaving a light ring of oil around the outside or in the

center, the mixture is finished cooking, and you can move on to the

next step. This ensures that the spices are fully cooked, avoiding a

" raw " taste.

 

For accompaniments, it's worth seeking out mango or lime pickle from

an Indian market, which is also a good place to pick up Indian breads.

I love spice so much that I often have my own version of

Worcestershire - freshly sliced chiles to nibble on with limes for

squeezing.

 

Okra Masala

 

Makes a little over 4 cups, to serve 4-6

 

Okra gets a bad rap for sliminess - to avoid that, make sure the pods

are completely dry before you cook them. But, if you just can't bear

okra, the dish is equally good with green beans, cut to length, or

chopped cauliflower, both of which may need to be par-cooked for a few

minutes before using. Serve with roti, chapati or over rice.

 

 

* 1 teaspoon ground cumin

* 1 teaspoon ground coriander

* 1/4 teaspoon red chile powder

* 1/4 teaspoon turmeric

* -- Coarse salt

* 2 tablespoons grated dried unsweetened coconut

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

* 1 teaspoon mustard seed

* 1 1/2 cups chopped onion

* 2 tomatoes, chopped (about 2 to 2 1/2 cups)

* 2 cloves garlic, chopped

* 2 teaspoons chopped fresh peeled ginger

* 1 pound okra, cut into 1/4- inch pieces (about 4 cups)

* 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

 

Instructions: Mix the cumin, coriander, chile powder, turmeric, 1

teaspoon salt and grated coconut in a bowl.

 

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Reduce heat to medium, add the

mustard seeds, and cook until they pop lightly, about 5 minutes. Add

the onion, garlic and ginger, and cook, stirring, until softened,

about 2 minutes. Add the tomato, and cook until it breaks down,

stirring and mashing as it cooks, about 5 minutes.

 

Add the spice mixture, and cook for 1 minute, until very fragrant. Add

3 tablespoons water, and cook for 2 minutes more. Add okra, cover and

cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Uncover, and cook for 3 minutes more,

stirring to prevent it from sticking. Stir in cilantro.

 

Per serving: 111 calories, 3 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (1

g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 14 mg sodium, 4 g fiber.

 

Coconut- Vegetable Curry

 

Serves 4

 

Adding water to the coconut milk - up to 1/2 cup, so the sauce doesn't

reduce too much - allows you to skip the step of pre-cooking the

vegetables. The ensuing gravy should be thin, which is perfect over

rice or sopped up by roti or chappati. This is also good made with

butternut squash, cauliflower and potatoes; or turnips, sweet potato

and celery root.

 

 

* For the curry:

* 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped

* 1 onion, chopped

* 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

* 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric

* 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste

* 1 tablespoon ground cumin

* 2 green chiles, chopped, or to taste

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

* 1 1/2 cups thawed frozen coconut milk

* 1 teaspoon sugar

* 5 cardamom pods, green or black

* 2 bay leaves

* For the vegetables:

* 2 cups ( 1/2-inch pieces) green beans

* 2 cups potato, cut into small cubes

* 1 cup eggplant, cut into small cubes

* 1 pod tamarind, mixed with 2 tablespoons water and kneaded until

dissolved (optional)

* -- Cilantro leaves, for garnish

* -- Lime wedges, for garnish

* -- Rice, for serving

 

Instructions: In a blender, combine ginger, onion, garlic, turmeric,

salt, cumin and chiles until almost smooth.

 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion mixture,

and cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is bright

and the oil starts to seep out along the sides of the spice mixture.

Stir in coconut milk, sugar, cardamom and bay leaves, and bring to a

simmer. Add the green beans, potato and eggplant; cover and cook for 5

minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from sticking. Add up to 1/2

cup water if the mixture is sticking.

 

Taste the curry. If it needs a little tanginess, add some tamarind

water, tasting until balanced. Uncover and simmer until vegetables are

just tender, about 3 minutes more.

 

Garnish with cilantro leaves, and serve with lime wedges and rice.

 

Per serving: 365 calories, 6 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate, 26 g fat

(17 g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 556 mg sodium, 7 g fiber.

 

Wine pairing: Indian-style dishes with curry and masala spice are top

Riesling partners. Off-dry Riesling bridges the gulf that between wine

and chile heat. See today's wine recommendations on Page K6.

 

Amanda Berne is a former Chronicle staff writer. E-mail her at

food, and go to sfgate.com/food to read her

previous columns.

 

This article appeared on page K - 5 of the

San Francisco Chronicle