Sauteed Okra in Tomato Coconut Sauce - 20 minutes
Perfect Summer Recipe for the Okra Lover's and Non-Lover's Alike
I know what you're thinking--"eww, okra?" Yes, okra! Growing up, I hated this vegetable...or fruit may I say, with a passion! It was slimy, it was gross, it had all those little beads in it, and it was hairy as ever. "Why would anyone want to eat this, I always wondered?" Well, turns out that okra doesn't have to be as slimy as our mother's made it. And, you want to eat it because it's an excellent source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K. Plus, it tastes amazing with the right spices and with minimal cooking. The more you cook okra, the slimier it becomes, so don't overcook it! It also delivers a great deal of antioxidants to our bodies as well as magnesium and calcium which helps us to fight free radicals and protects our bones.
What You'll Need to Make:
1 tsp olive oil for sautéing
1.5 lbs fresh okra (I got mine from my local farmer's market during the summer. I highly suggest you do as well, they usually have the freshest okra)
1/2 an onion, roughly sliced
1 roma tomato, roughly chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic minced or pushed through a garlic press
2 thin pieces of scotch bonnet pepper, thinly chopped
dried or fresh thyme (I used 3 stems of dried thyme)
1 tsp pink himalayan salt or to taste
1/2 - 1 cup filtered water
1/4 cup full fat canned coconut milk
How to Make it:
Add your olive oil to the pan and allow it to get hot. Add your onions, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, tomatoes and thyme and sauté for 3-4 minutes.
Add your scotch bonnet pepper, your water and coconut milk. Add salt and cover the pot. Cook for 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. You may need to add water as you go because okra tends to absorb moisture quite quickly.
Enjoy with steamed ground vegetables such as Japanese sweet potatoes, yams, beets, carrots, etc.
Did you enjoy today's recipe? Let me know down below in the comments. Feel free to request recipes and tag us on Instagram @thegeneuslife with your awesome recreations!