ANN/THE STAR – Being raised with a consistent abundance of okra from the garden can inspire individuals to delve into cookbooks or, in modern times, explore online recipes to tantalise their taste buds.
While the vegetable thrives in warm and temperate climates, it has gained popularity in various global cuisines, spanning Southeast Asia, India, China, and Western countries.
The long finger-like vegetable with a tapering end and round off-white seeds is mucilaginous and requires some know-how to cook, as too much slime spoils the taste and leaves it looking less than appealing.
So far, I have come across green and red okra but the latter is not as common.
What’s good about okra is its versatility as it can be stir-fried, steamed, boiled, deep-fried, baked or grilled.
When stir-frying sliced okra, it is advisable not to add salt as soon as the vegetable is introduced to a hot pan.
I prefer stir-frying the okra for a few minutes until it turns a darker shade of green, before adding salt.
When steaming okra, all it takes is approximately a minute for it to change from light to dark green.
For this particular family recipe, toasted coconut instead of fresh coconut is preferred in helping the yoghurt-based dish keep longer in the refrigerator.
I know of families who use fresh grated coconut but there is a tendency for it to go bad.
Most recipes, though, will omit the use of coconut.
Some recipes call for dried chillies in the tempering process but I prefer Thai green chilli or bird’s eye chilli for that touch of heat.
I find using dried chillies tends to change the colour of the oil during tempering, staining the dish with a brownish hue that does not go well with the yellow turmeric shade.
My mother adds fennel seeds during tempering, too, for its sweet, earthy taste.
For extra sweetness, I prefer red grapes instead of sugar.
Here’s a tip regarding the tomato. De-seeding the fruit will keep the dish nice and thick when mixed with yoghurt.
Leave the seeds in and it results in a watery finish.
Finally, I prefer Greek yoghurt but you may use any plain yoghurt of your choice.
OKRA, GRAPE AND COCONUT RAITA
Ingredients
For stir-frying
– Five tablespoons grated coconut (toasted)
– Five tablespoons vegetable oil
– Two teaspoons mustard seeds
– Two teaspoons urad dhal
– One teaspoon fennel seeds
– One sprig curry leaf
– 30 grammes ginger
– Two cloves garlic
– One green Thai chilli
– One teaspoon turmeric powder
– Half teaspoon salt
– 200 grammes green okra
For tossing
– One medium sized tomato
– One red onion
– Two sprigs coriander
– 100 grammes red globe grapes
– One cup Greek yoghurt + half teaspoon salt
Method
In a dry shallow pan on medium heat, toast five tablespoons of grated coconut.
Keep an eye on the coconut and stir to prevent burning.
Once the coconut starts to brown, turn the flame down to low.
It is best to maintain it on a medium to low flame for approximately five minutes until the coconut caramelises to a beautiful golden-brown hue.
Do not fret if there are white bits among the coconut flakes.
Set aside and cool completely for 15 minutes.
Reuse the same shallow pan and on medium heat add five tablespoons of vegetable oil.
Throw in two teaspoons of mustard seeds which need to crackle and splutter in the hot oil.
Next introduce two teaspoons of urad dhal, one teaspoon of fennel seeds and strip one sprig of curry leaf. The curry leaf must sizzle to release its oils.
Stir the herb and spices together until the lentils achieve an even golden shade.
Reduce the heat if the ingredients are browning too fast.
The ginger goes in next, stir for a bit before adding chopped garlic and green Thai chilli.
Once the aromatics are cooked, add one teaspoon turmeric powder and allow it to coat the spice and herb mix.
Add 200 grammes okra and stir-fry for a few minutes until the vegetable turns a darker shade of green.
Once they appear cooked, add in half teaspoon salt, stir again before removing from the flame.
Transfer the okra to a big bowl and let it cool down.
Next, mix the ingredients together.
De-seed one tomato and cut into cubes. Dice the onion into cubes, cut the coriander sprigs into one centimetre length and grapes into bite-sized pieces.
Add the tomatoes, onion, coriander and grapes into the bowl containing the okra.
Next, add yoghurt, half teaspoon salt and toasted coconut.
Mix the ingredients together and serve immediately or keep it in the refrigerator until it is time to eat.
