Admittedly, okra is not my family’s favorite vegetable. I have a wide array of foods I like and a high tolerance for varying textures. And I tend to love naturally mucilaginous foods like chia seeds and aloe. I respect it isn’t for everyone and recognize that okra certainly fits into this category. But I can’t not grow it in the garden. The plant is so beautiful and tropical. It belongs to the mallow family and boasts a gorgeous open flower resembling a hibiscus. The leaves are broad and transport me to a different time and place. It simply belongs in the summer garden in my climate.

A few years ago, I found a recipe that is healthy (i.e. not fried though fried okra is delicious), involves okra, and incorporates many other food abundant in the summer garden. Enter Bhindi Masala. A simple, quick, summer curry of sorts. A step that we add to reduce the slime texture is to roast the okra first. My husband and I love it, and if it didn’t involve so many spices I’m sure the kids would too. They do eat the roasted okra alone. Okra is the seed pod of the flower, much like other fruits but with a unique shape and less flesh. It is high in fiber and rich in vitamins like C, K, A and rich in minerals like magnesium, manganese, folate, and even high in antioxidants. This combined with it’s polarizing mucilaginous texture, it’s a powerhouse for your body and digestion.

Ingredients:

• okra – about a pint cut into 1/4″ rounds
• onion – medium diced
• tomatoes – 5-10 san marzano or 3-5 slicers
• 3 anaheim peppers (or jalapeño if you like the heat)
• 2 cloves garlic
• garam masala
• curry powder
• cumin
• smoked paprika
• allspice
• salt
• white rice – steamed to serve over. I cook on the stovetop, we used to use an instant pot. Cook however you like best. I’ll provide my stovetop recipe here.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to about 400 degrees while you prep the vegetables. When it’s at the correct temperature, add the rounds of okra to a baking sheet well spaced and roast dry for about 10 minutes or until browned, then toss to brown on all sides. This enhances the flavor and reduces the slime.

In a medium size soup pan, add about a Tablespoon of butter and a long pull of olive oil (coconut oil would work well here too) to a preheated pan. When the oil/butter is running quickly but not burnt, add the onions and peppers. Cook until just translucent and then add the spices and garlic. I always estimate my spices based on feel and experience but for this recipe I’d estimate I use approximately a Tablespoon or a little less of each of the following: curry powder, cumin, smoked paprika. Then about a half tablespoon of garam masala, and about a half tsp of allspice. I’m not shy with my spices but it’s important to know the flavor of each and adjust to your taste. Allow to cook together to become very fragrant and begin sticking to the pan. Then, add all of your tomatoes. These will deglaze your pan and begin to simmer quickly. If you find your curry is too dry, add a splash of broth or water. Add your roasted okra to the mix and allow to gently simmer to incorporate. As it cooks down, salt to taste. You know you’ve got the right amount of salt when you taste buds give you a *zing*.

Meanwhile, cook your rice. The first step for all grains is to rinse them very well. I pour mine into a fine mesh strainer. My strainer fits a little under 2 cups of grain and I always cook this amount for this reason. I run it under the water until there are no more bubbles on the top and the water runs clear through the bottom. For rice, I use a 2:1 water to grain ratio. So for this recipe I use 4 cups water and 2 cups of rice. Once your rice is rinsed well, add 4 cups water to a pan, and then your 2 cups of rice and a decent pinch of salt. Add to a burner of medium-high heat and bring to a rapid boil with the lid off. Then, turn the heat all the way down to a simmer and add a lid. Set a time for 20 minutes. When the timer is finished, remove from heat and allow to cook with the lid on for about 5 minutes. Finally, fluff with a fork.

Finally serve! Add a generous scoop of rice to a shallow bowl and top with your curry. This would taste wonderful topped with cilantro and served with some sourdough naan (recipe coming soon).