**Okra and Tomatoes with Grains of Paradise: A Culinary Journey to West Africa**
In the heart of West Africa, where vibrant flavors dance on the palate, lies a culinary treasure called okra and tomatoes with grains of paradise. This tantalizing dish, often referred to as "okra soup" or "okra stew," is a symphony of textures and tastes that embodies the essence of West African cuisine. With its vibrant colors, aromatic spices, and the unique touch of grains of paradise, this dish promises a captivating culinary adventure. Discover the authentic taste of West Africa through this okra and tomato stew, complemented by three additional enticing recipes: a refreshing okra salad, crispy okra fritters, and a zesty okra pickle. Each recipe offers a unique twist on this versatile vegetable, showcasing its culinary prowess and versatility. Prepare to embark on a flavor-filled journey as you explore the depths of West African cuisine with this okra and tomato extravaganza.
MEDITERRANEAN-STYLE OKRA RECIPE
Okra and tomatoes prepared Mediterranean-style with onions, garlic, hot peppers, warm spices and a splash of lime juice. This quick-cooked vegan okra stew is the perfect combination of savory, tangy, and just a little bit spicy. You can use 1 or 2 jalapenos, depending on how spicy you like your food. And if you need it a little more tangy, add more lime juice!
Provided by Suzy Karadsheh
Categories Entree
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (or pan with a lid) over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking. Lower the heat to medium and add the onions, garlic and chopped jalapeno peppers. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes stirring regularly (do not let the garlic burn, if needed adjust heat).
- Add the okra and sautee for 5 to 7 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Season with kosher salt, black pepper and spices. Toss to coat.
- Add the crushed tomatoes and water. Stir to combine. Add the tomato slices on top. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cover most of the way (leave a little opening at the top). Let the okra simmer on low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until the okra has softened. Uncover and add juice of ½ lime (more to your liking).
- Remove from heat and serve over rice or with warm pita bread.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 111.8 kcal, Sugar 6.8 g, Sodium 132.3 mg, Fat 4.2 g, SaturatedFat 0.6 g, Carbohydrate 18.3 g, Fiber 6.2 g, Protein 4.3 g, ServingSize 1 serving
OKRA AND TOMATOES
Steps:
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook bacon until the bacon is starting to get crispy and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic; saute for 5 more minutes.
- Stir in tomatoes (with their juices), sugar, thyme, bay leaf, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Use the juices from the tomatoes to deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the okra, cover with a lid, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the okra is tender (about 10-12 minutes for fresh okra or 7-8 minutes for frozen okra).
- Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : ServingSize 1 /6 of the recipe, Calories 126 kcal, Carbohydrate 12 g, Protein 4 g, Fat 7 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 12 mg, Sodium 317 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 6 g
OKRA AND TOMATOES RECIPE
Step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions to make our Okra and Tomatoes. Visit the complete recipe online at Taste of Southern.com.
Provided by Steve Gordon
Categories Side Dishes
Time 40m
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Wash the tomatoes and okra under cool running water.
- Dice the onions.
- Place a skillet over Medium heat on your stove top.
- Add just enough oil to lightly coat the pan.
- Add bacon grease for seasoning if desired.
- When pan is hot, add the onions. Stir to coat with oil.
- Let the onions cook for several minutes while you prepare the tomatoes.
- Dice the tomatoes into larger sized pieces.
- Add the tomatoes to the skillet.
- Remove the ends from the okra and discard the pieces.
- Slice the okra pods into about ½ inch slices.
- Add the okra to the skillet.
- Add the black pepper, the salt and the sugar. Stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat slightly, and continue to stir and cook uncovered.
- Add a little warm water if needed to keep the vegetables moist.
- Cook until the okra is as tender as desired.
- Serve warm.
- Enjoy!
OKRA WITH TOMATOES
Steps:
- Saute 4 smashed garlic cloves in 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat until golden. Add 4 cups okra (halved lengthwise) and 1 small onion (cut into wedges); season with salt and pepper and cook until the okra is tender and bright, 10 to 12 minutes. Add 1 pint halved cherry tomatoes; cook until just bursting, 3 minutes. Finish with a splash of cider vinegar.
OKRA AND TOMATOES
This is a very simple recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.
Provided by GWYNN
Categories Side Dish Vegetables Tomatoes
Time 30m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
- Remove bacon from pan and saute okra, onion, pepper and celery until tender. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper and cook until tomatoes are heated through.
- Garnish with crumbled bacon, if desired.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 94.3 calories, Carbohydrate 11.5 g, Cholesterol 6.3 mg, Fat 4.7 g, Fiber 3.8 g, Protein 3.8 g, SaturatedFat 1.5 g, Sodium 249.8 mg, Sugar 6 g
OKRA WITH TOMATOES
This is a yummy side dish with rice. Using two types of tomato gives the dish texture and is a tasty explosion of flavors with lots of garlic and crushed red pepper.
Provided by iheartcooking
Categories Side Dish Vegetables Tomatoes
Time 30m
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Cover the bottom of a skillet with the olive oil and place over medium heat. Place the garlic, onion, and cayenne pepper in the skillet and stir until fragrant. Stir in the green pepper. Cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the frozen okra and allow to cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in both the diced and the stewed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until all vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 66.3 calories, Carbohydrate 13.1 g, Fat 1.1 g, Fiber 3.9 g, Protein 2.8 g, SaturatedFat 0.2 g, Sodium 311.8 mg, Sugar 5.1 g
MEDITERRANEAN OKRA AND TOMATO STEW
Until lately, I hadn't been a fan of okra. But then I learned how cooks in the eastern and southern Mediterranean treat this popular vegetable: they cook it whole, after tossing it with salt and vinegar and marinating it for an hour to make it less, well, slimy. Some regional cooks dry okra in the sun after salting it.Okra is low in calories, very high in dietary fiber, and a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, B vitamins and the phytonutrients glutathione, xanthin, lutein and beta carotene. For the best texture and flavor, buy the smallest pods you can find. Okra is stewed with tomatoes and onions throughout the Middle East and in Greece, where the vegetable goes by its Arabic name, bamyeh or bamyies. Traditionally, the stews are made with about three times as much olive oil as I use here.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories dinner, weekday, appetizer
Time 2h15m
Yield Serves four as a main dish with rice, six as a side
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Trim the stems off the okra, and place in a large bowl. Salt generously, douse with the vinegar and let sit for 30 minutes to an hour. Drain the okra, and rinse thoroughly.
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, lidded skillet or casserole. Add the onions. Cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Add the okra, and cook, stirring, for about three minutes until the edges begin to color. Add the garlic, stir together for about half a minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir in the dissolved tomato paste, allspice and sugar. Add water if necessary to just cover the okra. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 45 minutes until the okra is very tender. Add the parsley and lemon juice, and simmer another five minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Remove from the heat, and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 268, UnsaturatedFat 12 grams, Carbohydrate 32 grams, Fat 14 grams, Fiber 10 grams, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 1145 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams
OKRA AND TOMATOES WITH GRAINS OF PARADISE
This is an Alton Brown recipe. Grains of Paradise have a taste that is a mix of mild black pepper, cardamom, coriander and ginger and with a luscious citrus aroma. Long used in Middle Eastern, North and West African cuisines, this spice is starting to gain in popularity throughout other regions of the world. The two major exporters of Grains of Paradise are in Ghana and Nigeria. Grains of Paradise are also known as alligator pepper, melegueta pepper (not to be confused with Brazilian Malagueta pepper which is actually a member of the Capsicum family), Guinea pepper, ginny pepper and Roman pepper. Helpful hint; you will enjoy its fullest flavor if you grind it just before adding to a dish (or just before serving).
Provided by Susie D
Categories Vegetable
Time 40m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Cut each okra pod in half lengthwise and set aside. If there are any pods longer than 4 inches, cut them in half crosswise and then lengthwise.
- Heat the olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions along with the salt and cook until they begin to turn golden, approximately 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Add the tomatoes and sugar if using. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Decrease the heat to low and add the ginger, pepper, cardamom and okra. Stir to combine. Cook, uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning as desired. Serve immediately.
OKRA AND TOMATOES
Steps:
- Trim stem ends of okra, wash and drain.
- In large frying pan heat oil and butter and saute scallions until they are soft. Add the okra and saute on all sides for 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon remove okra and onions from pan and reserve.
- Place tomatoes, parsley and garlic in pan and simmer a few minutes, just until ingredients are blended.
- Return okra to pan; cover and simmer until okra is crisp-tender, but not mushy.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 176, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 15 grams, Fat 13 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 4 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 592 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams
Tips:
- Choose Fresh Okra: Select young, tender okra pods that are bright green in color and free from blemishes or bruises.
- Prepare Okra Properly: To reduce the okra's sliminess, slice it thinly or cook it whole. You can also blanch the okra in boiling water for a few minutes before cooking.
- Use Ripe Tomatoes: Vine-ripened tomatoes offer the best flavor and sweetness to the dish.
- Add Grains of Paradise for a Unique Flavor: Grains of paradise add a warm, peppery flavor to the dish. If you can't find grains of paradise, you can substitute black pepper or allspice.
- Simmer the Dish for Rich Flavor: Simmering the okra and tomatoes together for a longer period allows the flavors to meld and develop.
- Serve with Desired Accompaniments: Okra and tomatoes can be served with rice, couscous, quinoa, or crusty bread.
Conclusion:
Okra and tomatoes with grains of paradise is a flavorful and versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a side dish or a main course. The combination of okra, tomatoes, and grains of paradise creates a unique and delicious flavor profile that is sure to impress your taste buds. Experiment with different variations of the recipe to find the one that best suits your preferences. Whether you serve it with rice, couscous, or crusty bread, this dish is a delightful addition to any meal. So, gather your ingredients and embark on a culinary journey to savor the goodness of okra and tomatoes with grains of paradise.
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