Okra Curry

This is one vegetable I simply cannot pass up. It's not too common here (another thing I miss about living in Texas), so whenever I see it I get very excited. On a recent shopping trip, I scored some okra and cooked up this Indian-inspired dinner off the cuff.


Then I got lucky again at the farmers market and made the same dish for the second time in as many weeks. It was such a winner, with the okra's flavor and texture in the starring role, and a variety of aromatic spices playing the supporting cast. A meal that makes your taste buds sing and one you can feel good about eating too!

Okra Curry
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons canola oil
¼ teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1 yellow onion, julienned
10 ounces okra, cut into ¾-inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon minced ginger
¾ teaspoon garam masala
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
Generous pinch cayenne pepper
1 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced cilantro

Combine the oil and mustard seeds in a large, heavy sauté pan, cover, and heat over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add the onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the okra and sauté another 1 to 2 minutes, or until it turns bright green. Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and sauté 1 to 2 minutes more, or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes (along with their liquid), reduce the heat to low, and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes, or until the okra is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter, sprinkle with the cilantro, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a healthy, vegetarian main course, as long as there's plenty of cooked basmati rice to go with it. Perfect in the summertime, when okra is in season. Select small okra, no larger than your pinkie finger, as it’s the most tender. Garam masala is an Indian spice blend which includes roughly equal parts of toasted and ground cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, cumin, and possibly coriander or nutmeg. You can find it at most well-stocked grocery stores, or, if you are feeling more adventurous, you can make your own.

Picky Eating as a Medical Condition?

If a grown adult refuses to eat anything but grilled cheese sandwiches, fries, and waffles, it may now be considered a legitimate medical condition. Well, call me ignorant because I'd always thought picky eating was bad habit or hang up. Or downright childish behavior.

But apparently it's a disease. So be worried…Your kid is sick if he or she avoids all green foods or consumes only foods that are orange. You should seek medical help if broccoli disgusts you. I'm calling the advice nurse and getting a prescription because I dislike fennel and anything that tastes like fennel. I'm really concerned for my father, who feels violated if there's salad (or any vegetable, for that matter) on his plate. And my sister-in-law, who is repulsed by tomatoes, caviar, and anything else that pops because it makes her think of eyes—I'm wondering if a trip to the emergency room is in order?

I will admit that picky eating could lead to a variety of medical problems that a varied, balanced diet would avoid. But seriously folks. I can't tell you how many times I've witnessed first hand a child reach to taste something new, only to have the parent say, "Little Johnny, you wouldn't like that." Is it any wonder little Johnny grows up to be afraid of trying new foods? Even worse, it's considered perfectly normal when adults prepare one meal for themselves and a completely different meal for the kids. I don't know whether they think they're doing themselves or their kids a favor, or if it's a lack of sense or ability to discipline. My parents taught me that our house wasn't a restaurant and that if I was hungry, I would eat whatever food was put in front of me. I didn't get dessert until I finished my dinner either. Now I eat almost everything, and I'm even working on my fennel-and-anything-that-tastes-like-fennel-hate. And another thing, a kid may grow up to be a picky eater simply because his or her mom was a bad cook. The fact that my husband hated steak most of his life can be directly attributed to a childhood of eating well-done sirloin. The fact is, we are a nation of picky eaters because we are raised to be, not because it's some sort of disorder.

…On the other hand, the next time my husband tries to pick out the almonds from a cake I bake, I'm sending him to have his head examined.

Anyway, here's a recipe for a vegetable that's sure to make picky eaters head for the hills…


Fried Okra
Printable Recipe

¾ cup fine cornmeal
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil, for frying
¾ pound fresh okra, cut into ¾-inch pieces
1/3 cup buttermilk

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, granulated garlic, cayenne, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a large, shallow dish. Add enough oil to a large, heavy frying pan to come to a depth of ¾ inch. Heat over medium-high heat until a pinch of the cornmeal mixture sizzles immediately when added. Meanwhile, add the okra to the buttermilk, and stir to coat. Transfer the okra to the cornmeal mixture and toss to coat, separating any pieces that stick together. Shaking off any excess cornmeal mixture, add about half of the okra to the oil and fry, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Using a skimmer, remove to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season to taste with salt. Fry the remaining okra in the same manner. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6. Fried okra is extremely popular in the South, and for good reason—it’s downright addictive! Summer is okra season. Select small okra pods, no larger than your pinkie finger, since large pods can be tough and stringy. Although fresh okra is best, you can substitute the fresh okra with a 16-ounce bag of frozen whole okra with good results. Thaw the frozen okra pods about half way for this recipe. Serve with ketchup or ranch dressing for dipping.

Okra

People either love or hate okra. I happen to love it.

Stewed Okra & Corn
Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
½ pound okra, cut into ¾-inch pieces
3 cups corn kernels
1 14 ½-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a large, heavy sauté pan over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add the okra and sauté another 1 to 2 minutes, or until it turns bright green. Add the corn and sauté 2 to 3 minutes more, or until it turns bright yellow. Add the tomatoes and oregano, reduce the heat to low, and cook covered for about 15 minutes, or until the okra is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, transfer to a bowl, and serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a side dish. Perfect in the summertime, when okra and corn are in season. Select small okra, no larger than your pinkie finger, as it’s the most tender. Fresh corn kernels are best, but you can use thawed frozen kernels in a pinch. One ear of corn will yield about a cup of kernels.