Okra is one of the most popular vegetables in the Middle East. Cooked this way, it may be served cold as a salad, or hot with rice, or as a side dish with meat or chicken.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4-6

　　1 pound okra, preferably small young ones

　　1 large onion, cut in half and sliced

　　3 tablespoons sunflower or extra-virgin olive oil

　　2 cloves garlic, chopped

　　1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped

　　Salt and pepper

　　Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

　　1–2 teaspoons sugar

　　A small bunch of flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, chopped

　　

Step 1

With a small, sharp knife, cut off the stems and trim the caps of the okra and rinse well. Fry the onion in the oil till golden. Add the garlic, and fry for moments only, until the aroma rises. Now add the okra and sauté gently for about 5 minutes, turning over the pods.

　　

Step 2

Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, lemon, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar and simmer 20 minutes, or until the okra is tender and the sauce reduced. Taste, and add more sugar if you like. Stir in the parsley or cilantro and cook a minute more.

　　

Variation

Step 3

From the start add 1 or 2 dried limes (see page 44), cracked open with a hammer or pierced with a skewer when they have softened, or 2–3 teaspoons of dried ground limes, instead of the lemon juice.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf