Okra, known as “lady’s fingers” in India, has a beautiful bright green color and looks wonderful on the table. This simple and easy way to cook okra will leave you with a delicious dish, without any of the okra “slime!”When buying fresh okra, avoid the flimsy, flexible ones. Look for crisp ones in which the tail end can be snapped off. Avoid the very hard okra that are over-ripe with brown seeds instead of the ideal white seeds. I also never cover okra when cooking because doing so will darken its color. Okra can be eaten with Indian flatbreads, such as Naan or Chapathi, and goes well when paired with lentil dishes. – Shubhra
If you’re using frozen okra, do not defrost. If you’re using fresh okra, wash the okra and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Trim the tip and head and discard. Slice each okra into ¼-inch (6-mm) pieces.
Pour the oil into a large nonstick skillet and place over medium heat. (Place over high heat if using frozen okra.) When the oil is heated, add the okra and lime juice. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onion, turmeric, red pepper, salt, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Sauté until the okra is tender and the onion becomes transparent, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes.
Enjoy now or let cool to room temperature and refrigerate or freeze for later!
Recipe Notes
Okra has a peculiar, slimly substance to it that is released when the okra is cut and washed. The first time I cooked okra, I washed it after I chopped it and had slime everywhere! That is why it is important to wash it and pat dry before chopping to reduce the release of the sticky material. If you’re using frozen okra, it is best not to defrost it first, as it will become flimsy and release a lot of slimy substance. When okra is cooked with lime juice, any slime disappears as the okra cooks.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil, bell peppers, black beans, corn, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the bell peppers and onions of softened. Turn off heat and stir in the cilantro.
Arrange 2 tortillas on a sheet pan. Top with cheese, cooked veggies mixture, and another layer of cheese. Cover with remaining tortillas.
Bake for 10 minutes or until tortillas are crisp and the cheese is melted.
While baking, make the sour-cream cilantro sauce. Whisk all the ingredients in a medium bowl until combined.
Place quesadillas on a cutting board. Cut into wedges. Enjoy with sour cream cilantro sauce!
Preheat oven to 400F. Roast the sweet potatoes until fully cooked & very soft – approximately 45 minutes or longer depending on the size. Cool to room temperature.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the sliced dried figs, vinegar, salt & pepper, and minced ginger. Lightly toss. Allow the figs to marinate for approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
In a skillet over set on medium high, heat the banana leave pieces just until they become flexible.
Lay the banana leaves on a work surface.
Slice the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. (If using smaller sweet potatoes, split the sweet potatoes open & press lightly to flatten.) Place a piece of sweet potato on each banana leaf.
Distribute the fig mixture over the sweet potatoes.
Distribute the cashews over the sweet potatoes.
Place a piece of butter on top of each sweet potato. Fold up the banana leaf to enclose the sweet potato. Tie with a piece of string to secure.
Place the sweet potato packages in a broad skillet in a single layer. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the skillet – approximately 1/8 inch deep.
Cover the skillet with a lid or with aluminum foil. Heat the skillet to gently steam the sweet potato packages – approximately 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the packages from the skillet. Cut the string and unfold on dinner plates keeping the sweet potato and any juices in the center of the banana leaf.
Sprinkle the minced Serrano chile (optional) and the crème fraiche & crumbled cheese over the sweet potato. Garnish with a wedge of fresh lime.
Recipe Notes
Substitutions: dried corn husks soaked in water until flexible or parchment paper.
