Okra is one of the oldest vegetables on Earth. It grows in all Mediterranean countries, but also in many other places on the planet.
Okra shoots grow on bushes and look like green peppers, and are the size of your finger. They are picked before they are fully ripe.
The young, tender pods are covered with a thin moss, which must be removed before cooking, and each pod must be gently wiped with a damp cloth.
Okra should not be stored for prolonged periods of time, because it is too fibrous. The pods contain a colorless liquid, containing the seeds.
To eliminate the fluid from the pods to some extent, the okra must be blanched before cooking, by placing it in boiling water for about two minutes.
Add lemon juice or vinegar to the decoction. Okra is almost tasteless, so it combines well with other vegetables and meat.
Delicious meals are prepared by combining okra with peppers and tomatoes, beef, pork, lamb and fish. Okra goes well with curry, chili, cumin, garlic, basil.
You can surprise loved ones with Egyptian-style okra. You'll need 24.5 oz of okra, an onion, six tomatoes, ten cloves of garlic, five tablespoons of oil, 1 pound of ground meat, 1 cup of broth, 3 tablespoons of yoghurt, 3 tablespoons of cream, 1 lemon, white pepper and salt.
Wash and gently dry the okra. Peel the onion and cut it into small pieces, peel the skin of the tomatoes and cut them into small pieces as well. Mash the garlic.
Fry the okra in half the oil for five minutes and place it on a rack to drain out the oil. Fry the tomatoes and onion in the remaining oil. Add the pork and fry until golden.
Pour the hot broth in, add the garlic and salt and cook until almost all the liquid evaporates. Preheat the oven to 360°F (180 °C). Add yoghurt, cream and white pepper to the minced meat.
Grease a tray and distribute half the mince in it. Arrange the okra on top and cover with mince again. Bake for one hour. Garnish with lemon slices and serve.
