If you'd like a new alternative for fresh okra, try this recipe from India, adapted from Extending the Table: A World Community Cookbook, by Joetta Handrich Schlabach. It's delicious and manages to cut the "slimy" aspect of the okra, which some find undesirable. (To learn more about Extending the Table, click here.)
In a saucepan, combine: ½ pound okra, rinsed and left whole; 1 onion, chopped; and 2 hot green chili peppers, slit down the middle.
Add: ½ cup water; ¼ cup vinegar; and salt to taste.
Cover and simmer until okra is tender but not soft, adding more water if needed. Don't overcook; you don't want the okra to get mushy. Let cool.
Mix until smooth: ½ teaspoon ground coriander; ¼ teaspoon ground cumin; 1/8 teaspoon chili powder; and 1 cup yogurt.
Remove hot green chilies from okra. Place cooked okra in serving dish and pour yogurt mixture over to cover; sprinkle with ground cloves, cinnamon and cardamom (optional). Serve.
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