Cooked in this way, in olive oil, the dish is normally served cold as a salad, but I also like it hot with rice or as a side dish with meat or chicken.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 to 6

　　1 pound medium okra

　　1/2 pound baby onions or shallots

　　6 whole garlic cloves, peeled

　　5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

　　1 pound tomatoes, peeled and chopped

　　Salt and black pepper

　　1 teaspoon sugar

　　3 to 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or coriander

　　

Step 1

Wash the okra and, with a small sharp knife, carefully pare the conical stem ends without cutting through the pods. To peel the baby onions or shallots more easily, put them in boiling water and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, and peel them when they are cool enough to handle.

　　

Step 2

In a large pan over low heat, gently fry the onions and garlic cloves in 3 tablespoons oil, shaking the pan to color them very lightly all over. Add the okra and sauté gently for about 5 minutes, turning the pods around in the pan.

　　

Step 3

Add the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper, and sugar, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the okra are tender and the sauce is reduced. Taste and adjust the seasoning, stir in the chopped parsley or coriander, and cook a minute more. Stir in the remaining olive oil and serve at room temperature.

　　

variation

Step 4

Add the juice of 1/2 lemon or 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses toward the end of the cooking time. If adding molasses, omit the sugar.

　　Arabesque