I have problems making titles. I also have problems remembering to photograph tasty recipes!
But here goes some ramblings which relate to my title.
I love making Indian food and while I still get better Indian food at the restaurant, I'd have to admit mine is pretty darned tasty, and Indian food is generally healthy, too. I like making Indian food for the same reason I don't like ceramics or making stir fries or even simple recipes...
I think back to my ceramics class back in high school where I passed with a B+ but I feel a lot was sympathy. Only two of my creations did not blow up, fall apart, or look like my dog made it. See I didn't want to just follow directions and make a boring old pots and vases and wanted these neat intricate works of art but I was supposed to master the basics first which I felt was dull and pointless. And thus as aforementioned, my creations blew up a lot.
I also don't like simple recipes because I can't follow them just like with ceramics. I want to jazz it up, add my mark, which usually ends up in disaster- I luckily haven't blown any food up, but have donated a lot of food to the garbage.
I don't like making stir fry even though I love eating it. If you forget an item or aren't quick enough to chop and fry or what have you, your meal is ruined... it is a one-shot thing kind of like watercolors, another art form I hate doing because I can't tinker with it.
I love Indian cooking because I can add my mark, tinker, forget an ingredient and add it 10 minutes late, and it still comes out tasting good. I can't even follow an Indian recipe for the life of me though. I start out with the best of intentions, measuring precise teaspoons of this and 3 ox of that. Really, I do. But then as it cooks (and oops I forgot to add the....) I think hmm what if I add a little...? And I do, taste, and adjust.
So here is my recipe for okra based off the Cooking Channel Spice Goddess show recipe, but of course tinkered.
EWWWW OKRA you might say, envisioning swallowing vegetables with a consistency of the mucus you encounter from sinusitus. Who wants to eat vegetable flavored boogers and snot? But you can make okra edible. I swear.
Find organic, non gmo homegrown okra. This is key because, just like brussel sprouts, I along with most of the world refuse to touch brussel sprouts or okra. Until it is homegrown.
BHINDI MASALA recipe
Chop 8-12 okra whatever they ares (stems? pods? fruits?) into little rounds, washing and drying the knife occasionally as it gets slimy. Place rounds on a paper towel. Cover in another towel and pat lightly. Now peel the okra off the towel (yes they stick).
In enough oil to coat a pan saute onions....about 1 yellow onion, chopped.
Add about 1/2 clove or so chopped garlic.
While sauteeing make spice mix-
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric
1/8 tea chili powder (the Indian kind is best)
pinch salt
1/2 tea curry powder
When onions are soft, add about 1/3 the spice mix and stir around. Some might stick to the pan, life goes on, although your husand might complain you're making the house smoky. Stir for just a moment and add okra.
Let the okra kind of sit as it cooks on about medium heat, until you have the urge to stir- maybe 2 minutes or less. Stir. Once you've done this for about 5 minutes, you will have seen some ng okra :"goop" ooze out but it starts to not ooze.
This is when you want to get a 16 oz can crushed tomatoes and add some of the juice to the pan. Yuo may have had to do this a little during the okra de-sliming, as you don't want the pan and spices to burn....just roast.
Stir.
Add remaining tomatoes and spice mix. Cook about 12 minutes on medium-low. Serve with rice.
Your okra won't be slimy, the meal won't be too spicy (really really really mild actually... but it accentuates the good flavor of the veggies). Your okra should almost remind you of zucchini but a little crisper.
