Okra in tomato sauce, a vegetarian recipe

Name: Okra in tomato sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Syria
Ingredients: 500 g young firm okra; 500 g chopped tomatoes; 6 garlic cloves; 1 bunch fresh coriander; 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses; Juice of 1 lemon; 3 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp salt; 1 tsp ground coriander

Method

Trim the okra by cutting the cap into a cone, leaving the pod sealed. Any nick releases the mucilage.
Dry them well, then brown them for 5 minutes in 2 tbsp of the oil over high heat. Set aside.
Pound the garlic with the salt, then fry it for a minute in the remaining oil with the ground coriander.
Add the tomatoes and let them reduce uncovered for 10 minutes.
Return the okra, pour in 200 ml water and simmer covered for 20 minutes without stirring.
Stir through the pomegranate molasses, lemon juice and chopped fresh coriander, then serve with rice.

Okra releases a thickening mucilage the moment its wall is cut. Two moves hold it back: cone the stem rather than slicing it flush, and sear the dry pods in hot oil before any liquid, which seals the surface. The pomegranate molasses goes in at the end, because its acidity cooks off and loses its bite over a long simmer.

The techniques this recipe uses

Reduce
Uncovered, water leaves and flavour concentrates. It is done when the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use frozen okra?

Yes, and it is convenient since it comes already trimmed. Do not thaw it: the water released as it defrosts would set the mucilage going. Drop the pods in still frozen for the browning stage in hot oil, accepting that it takes a little longer.

What can replace pomegranate molasses?

Nothing quite reproduces it, since it brings acidity and an almost fruity depth at once. Failing that, extra lemon juice with half a teaspoon of sugar gives a comparable sweet-sour note. Add it, like the molasses, right at the end of cooking.

Why should I not stir during the twenty-minute simmer?

Every stir breaks pods, and a split pod releases its mucilage into the sauce, which turns ropy. If you are worried about it catching, shake the pan by the handles rather than putting a spoon into it.

Okra in tomato sauce

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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