OKRA (Bamya)

Okra is very popular these days, I hear different recipes in food channels. I even saw a dessert made of okra, believe it or not. But I'll give you a most common way of cooking it in Turkish kitchen. I must admit though that it is not a very popular dish. But every now and then, its nice to see this green fellows on our plates. To reduce the gluey texture (for more biochemical explanation click here) we add lemon juice immediately with okra which makes the meal more tasteful.

Ingredients:

• 300 g okra
• 1 large tomato
• 1 onion (red looks better)
• 1 lemon, juice
• Oil, 1 tablespoon
• Salt

Preparation:

• Cut the tips of okra thinly in a conical way and wash with cold water.
• Dice the onion and fry in a saucepan with oil.
• Chop the tomato in small cubes and add to the saucepan.
• When tomatoes lose water and seems to be drying up, add okra.
• Immediately add the juice of one lemon.
• Add salt and add boiling water barely enough to cover ingredients.
• Let it simmer for 15 minutes, lid half closed.