Okra can be a tricky little vegetable to cook because of its, well, slimyness. Thank heavens generations of Greek cooks have found a way to tame this unpopular characteristic trait of the okra. Mama cooks her okra whole, after trimming carefully, tossing with vinegar and leaving it to marinate in a sunny spot. She also recommends buying the smallest okra you can find.
This simple, fuss free recipe results in tender, melt in the mouth okra. With a piece of crusty sourdough horiatiki bread to soak up the garlicky tomato sauce, a little feta and some olives, you have a perfect Greek vegetarian meal.
Baked Okra in Tomato Sauce (Μπάμιες στο φούρνο)
Ingredients
- 500 g Fresh okra
- 2 tbs Greek red wine vinegar
- 2 cloves Garlic peeled and left whole
- 5 tbsp Greek extra virgin olive oil
- 1 kg Ripe tomatoes
- Sea salt to taste
- Ma's chilli puree (see my basics page) to taste
- 1 bunch Fresh flat leaf parsley finely chopped
Instructions
-
Clean the okra well. To prepare, trim around the tip of the okra and be careful not to cut too low and expose the inside of the okra.
-
Spread the okra in the base of a tapsi, sprinkle with vinegar and let it sit out in the sun for an hour.
-
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Wash the tomatoes and halve or quarter. Put them in a saucepan with a splash of water and let them simmer for a few minutes. Once the tomatoes have released a little liquid, remove from the heat. Place the tomatoes in a colander and push through with a wooden pestle or pass the tomatoes through a mouli. Place the extra virgin olive oil and garlic in a heavy based pot. Allow the garlic to become a little fragrant, but not burnt. Add the fresh tomato puree. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and a little chilli puree to taste. When ready, stir through the chopped parsley.
-
Preheat the oven to 175C. Add a little sauce to the base of a clean tapsi. Place half the okra in the bottom of the baking dish and then spoon over a little of the tomato sauce. Add the rest of the okra in another layer and then the rest of the tomato sauce. Drizzle with olive oil and cover the dish with foil. Place in the center of the oven and bake until the okra starts to become tender. This should take about 45 minutes. Remove the cover and bake for another 45 minutes.
