My fond relationship with okra didnt start until recently. Making the okra stew for the first time, I was amazed on how my toddler examined the pod in between her fingers and bit into it with no funny face. Phew! What a relief!
Prep time: 10 min.
Cook time: 50 min.
Ready in: 1 hr.
Level: easy
Serves: 4
Okra Stew
Ingredients
Two skinless boneless chicken breasts cut for stew
One medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 -2 large carrots, sliced
Five tablespoons tomato paste
Three tablespoons lemon juice
1 lbs. okra
Four tablespoons white vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
Two tablespoons canola oil
One cinnamon stick (optional)
Directions:
1. Sauté chopped onions in oil over medium heat until they become translucent. Then add ½ teaspoon of turmeric and stir. Continue sautéing for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add chicken pieces to sautéed onions and stir until chicken juice runs out.
3. Dissolve tomato paste in 1 cup boiled water. Add it along with another cup of boiled water to the chicken pot.
4. Add sliced carrots and cinnamon stick. Bring the mixture to a boil. Then lower heat and allow the stew to simmer slowly for 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, bring 1 ½ cup of water to boil in a saucepan. Add okra, white vinegar and a tad of salt. Let the okras cook in boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain the water.
6. Add lemon juice, one teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper to chicken mixture. If a spicy stew is more favorable, replace the black pepper with cayenne pepper. Then add the cooked okras. Let it simmer on lower heat until the liquid is reduced to half. After adding the okras, it is best not to stir the stew a lot since stirring can cause the okra pods to break and will let out their sliminess.
The stew is done when all vegetables are tender to bite, and it has thickened. Remove cinnamon stick before plating. Serve hot on a bed of rice pilaf. Noosh-e j?n!
