Okra in the oven - Bamies sto fourno
OKRA IN THE OVEN – BAMIES STO FOURNO
HOW TO PICK THE BEST OKRA TO USE
Okra is a versatile vegetable that can be eaten in many ways, filled with lots of seeds and a quite hardy outside. When picking okra fresh at the market ensure you get the one that is not too large in size. They tend to be more ‘woody’ and tough, taking longer to cook. If you do though I would suggest cutting them in half lengthwise before cooking. Fresh okra may not always be readily accessible, but you may also find it in tins and in the freezer section.
PREPARING THE OKRA
When you prepare it, you need to remove the tip at an angle and chop a bit of the damaged ends as well. You may notice a bit of slime being produced at the top but you can give them a quick rinse and pat dry before cooking.
I love cooking the okra this way as all the ingredients are added at once and then the tray goes straight in the oven. Quick, easy and you can forget about it while it is cooking away.
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time 1 hr 45 mins
Easy assembly and delicious result
Servings: 5 people
Ingredients
• 1 kg okra
• 2 medium potatoes, cut in 8
• 2 medium carrots, cut in 6
• 2 tbs tomato paste
• 3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped or replace with 1 1/2 cups passata
• 1 medium brown onion, thinly sliced
• 10 sprigs parsley or coriander, dependent on preference
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup white vinegar, red wine vinegar may be used also
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp salt or as per desired amount
• 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven at 180°C. Clean and prepare the okra as per notes above.
2. Mix all the ingredients together in a baking tray. Cover with foil or lid and place it for 1 hour and 30min in the oven. The last 15min remove the lid to allow the food to get a bit of colour.
3. Enjoy warm with a fresh salad, yoghurt and crusty bread to dip into the tomato sauce!
Recipe Notes
Paired with some rice or just bread to scoop up the juices and the meal is complete.
