Pickled Kohlrabi

It is no random chalk-it-to-bizarre phenomenon that there is a series of kohlrabi posts here. 'Tis the season. All of a sudden, these sprightly bulbs are everywhere. Well, not in my garden - yet - but, every other market I go to offers these quirky-looking bulbs practically free.

A couple of large bulbs, along with some okra, got pickled in vinegar for a quick snack.

Just a simple vinegar pickling that can be looked up on the web: equal parts white vinegar and water with some salt, simmered till salt is dissolved, plus some peppercorns, garlic cloves, dry red chilies, caraway, and dill weed. 

Pack a jar with kohlrabi batons and okra, pour the hot vinegar mixture, top with a kohlrabi leaf to keep it all submerged, then, allow to cool a bit, cover, and leave it in the fridge for a week or so for flavors to develop.

As for me, in about 4 or 5 days, I start dipping into the jar and snacking on these crisp tart little veggies. They are good additions to layered salads as well. Some chickpeas, come chopped pickled kohlrabi, some marinated beans all add up to a delicious salad.

A fantastic alternative to pickled baby cucumbers aka "pickles", these pickled kohlrabi batons are easy to make and fun to snack on. Of course, I had to throw in some okra as my daughter and I can't seem to get enough of pickled okra.

Braised Kohlrabi Leaves & Bok Choy with Buckwheat Soba and Okra

I had stashed away some of the smaller, torn-up kohlrabi leaves after using the big ones for the Stuffed Kohlrabi Leaf Dolma Bites. These bits and pieces of kohlrabi leaves along with some bok choy leaves, plus a splash of Zenjiang vinegar and vegetable stock came together for braising.

Simply heat a teaspoon of sesame oil in a pan, add 3 cups of packed leaves and 3 cloves of crushed garlic, turn them around till lightly golden all around, add a teaspoon of Zenjiang vinegar (a little goes a long way!) and a cup of vegetable stock, cover and cook till greens are tender. Fish out the greens and reduce the liquid, if any, to pour over the greens when serving.

Some okra, onions, and tomatoes came together with Braggs Liquid Aminos and Sambal Oelek for the warm okra side.

Served at room temperature with cold soba noodles, this is a wonderful summer dish for a weeknight evening that comes together very quickly.

Okra Rellenos: Fried Cheese-stuffed Okra in Coconut Flour Batter

Chili Rellenos comes a close second to Mirchi Bajji (Milagai Bajji or Molaga Bajji, colloquially), when done right. Okra Rellenos is just one step away from this, especially since Stuffed Baked Okra comes close, without the frying.

I am not an expert at frying foods. I invariably mess with the batter and ruin it, or not have patience to check the oil temperature and therefore either burn the outsides or get them soggy with oil. I think it is a subconscious defense mechanism: If I don't do it right, then I won't be eating a lot of fried foods, and that must be just fine.

Anyway, I do like to try out different batters, just for the fun of it. I like the tried and tested ones, no doubt. Since I had a big sack of coconut flour and chickpea flour, I wanted to see if the batter made with these two would turn out all right.

Stuffing is easy this time - just some cheddar and mozzarella sticks plus finely minced pickled jalapeno.

Ingredients
for the batter:
¼ cup coconut flour
¼ chickpea flour
2 Tablespoon fine cornmeal (optional - I like the gritty crunch it adds)
2 Tablespoon all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup buttermilk
1¼ cup water (plus or minus a few Tablespoons)
salt and chili powder or smoke paprika powder for seasoning the batter

okra and filling - cheese, jalapeno

Oil for deep frying

Preparation

1. Combine the dry batter ingredients in a bowl, add the buttermilk, then slowly add the water; try not to overstir; coconut flour absorbs water quickly so alternate adding water and stirring to get the batter to a pancake batter like thick yet flowing consistency
2. Slit and stuff the okra and keep it ready
3. Heat the oil for frying to medium
4. Dip the stuffed okra in batter and deep fry in batches
5. Serve warm with chutneys and dips

Almond Panko Encrusted Baked Stuffed Okra

Sometimes, the work involved to get the finished product seems worth the effort. Sometimes, not. I think this dish is worth the time and labor, although that depends on how many okras one wants to prepare at a time in this manner.

Nutty, crispy coating, along with spicy stuffing makes these quite the versatile finger food. I decided to make just about 15 to 16 okras at this time, just enough as an appetizer for the two adults. Kids will take the sole courtesy bite per the house rule and declare it delicious but unsuitable for them at this time.

Stuffing can be anything that will fit in the slit - grated cheese, sliced onions, jalapeno, even any cooked meats as long as it is minced or chopped small enough to fit. I went with simple mint chutney and thinly sliced red onions.

Ingredients
16 medium sized okras
1 cup seasoned Panko bread crumbs
1 cup ground raw almonds, seasoned
1 cup buttermilk
Stuffing: store-bought mint chutney, red onions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 °F
2. Slit the okra but not slice it all the way through
3. Push a thumb through the slit to get the sides separated enough to make a smallish pocket
4. Slather some chutney and push in a small amount of stuffing
5. Leave the stuffed okra in a shallow bowl of buttermilk 
6. Mix the ground almonds and Panko seasoned crumbs together and keep it handy in a plate
7. Take a few okras at a time out of the buttermilk, press into the almond+panko crumb, turn to coat all sides
8. Place in a greased roasting pan; fill the roasting pan with these prepared crusted okras
9. Drizzle with oil and bake for about 20 minutes till okra is done and the crumb coating is crisp and golden brown
10. Remove from heat, serve warm with dips and chutneys

Whole Okra with Mayocoba Beans

Mayocoba or Peruano beans have a meatier texture and a satisfying flavor compared to white or navy beans. Typically, I soak it overnight and pressure cook it to firm yet soft consistency, not mushy.

This simple side can be served with rotis, naan, basmati rice, or eaten as is.

Simply saute the onions and green bell peppers, add the par-cooked okra, season to taste, when okra is mostly done, stir in the cooked mayocoba beans, adjust seasoning.

Seasoning varies on my mood - sometimes it is lemon pepper and sage; sometimes it is cumin and curry powder; sometimes it is shawarma spice mix.

Sauteed Bitter Melon and Okra

Served with roti or steaming basmati rice and ghee, this is a simple yet wholesome dish.

Slice the bitter melon and salt it and let it stand for 20 minutes; then, drain, rinse and cook as below.

Ingredients
1 Chinese bitter melon (Fu Gwa), sliced
2 cups chopped okra
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, diced
1 Tbsp Garam masala powder OR Madras curry powder
salt to taste
2 Tbsp canola oil

Heat oil in a pan, and saute till desired doneness

Indian Style Winged Beans and Okra with Curry Leaves

Winged beans has become an obsession of sorts lately. It'll pass. I'm sure I'll grow out of it soon. But until then, it is fun to cook it up in ways that is particularly appealing to the cook.

Okra and winged beans come together for a mildly spicy South Indian style dish with tempering and curry leaves for flavoring and garnish.

While the beans and okra are cooking in the microwave (about 5 minutes each), I get the masala paste ready and start sautéing it; this way, when the masala paste is good and ready, I can throw in the cooked veggies into the same pan and finish cooking quickly. I prefer to cook the veggies with some salt for seasoning.

Ingredients
1 cup Winged Beans, chopped
1 cup frozen cut Okra
½ medium red onion, diced
¼ cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
2 Tbsp curry leaf masala paste*
salt to taste
tempering: 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon split urad dal, 3 or 4 curry leaves

*Curry Leaf Masala Paste
¼ cup packed curry leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
1-inch piece of Indian cinnamon bark
2 tablespoon unsweetened dry grated coconut
2 Tablespoon gingelly/sesame oil

Preparation

1. Curry Leaf Masala Paste: Dry roast the ingredients (except oil) and grind them to a fine paste drizzling olive oil as needed while grinding
2. Cook the winged beans with some salt in microwave, drain, and rinse. Microwave power varies-- I cook the chopped winged beans for about 5 minutes in mine, with enough water to immerse the beans
3. Cook the frozen cut okra with some salt per package directions, drain, rinse in cold water
4. Tempering: Heat oil in a pan, add the urad dal first, when it turns golden brown add the mustard seeds, when it splutters add the curry leaves
5. Then, add the masala paste, onions, crushed diced tomatoes, a tablespoon of oil and saute till aromatic and the onions and tomatoes are cooked and the masala paste is thick and intensely flavorful
6. Add the cooked okra and winged beans to the pan, cover and cook till combined. 
7. Garnish with some cilantro and chopped curry leaves. Serve warm with hot basmati rice

Okra and Fingerling Potatoes Curry

Usually I go for the frozen okra available year-round, but, I found some fresh okra for a reasonable price at the grocery store and couldn't resist. Steamed Fingerling potatoes are kids' current fad food so I had  a bag of them handy.

Some fresh cherry tomatoes and walla walla pearl onions from the garden, plus the curry leaves from the local Burmese store made this delicious spicy side dish which is best enjoyed with plain brown rice and plain yogurt.

Heat some olive oil or sesame oil in a pan, saute some onions, then add the cut okra, curry leaves, and cherry tomatoes, some salt and curry powder (or any favorite seasoning), a splash of water, cover and cook till okra is almost done.Then add the par-cooked fingerling potatoes, stir well. Cook tell vegetables are done. Garnish with cilantro if preferred. Serve warm.

Whole Okra Casserole topped with Crispy Fried Onions

A wonderful way to enjoy okra, this casserole can be saucy or not. I prefer the saucy casserole as a main meal whereas this dry version pictured here makes a wonderful side.

I've tried tomato-based sauce, cheese-sauce and a combination of both, and I like the combination - more tomato flavor and a bit of cheesiness- piping hot from the oven for a cold winter night meal.

Store-bought Crispy Friend Onions works well - I get it at local Indian store - am not adventurous enough to make the fried onions from scratch.

Whole frozen okra is my preference as it is par-cooked and ready to go for a quick meal.

Ingredients
1 lb whole frozen okra, thawed
optional: cooked corn kernels, red bell peppers diced
salt to taste

for the sauce:
½ cup colby jack and mozzarella grated (or any favorite melt-y cheese)
1 cup canned tomato sauce (more or less)
¼ cup vegetable/chicken stock or water (as needed)
spices: cumin powder, coriander powder, oregano powder, smoked paprika powder (or any favorite combination)

1½ to 2 cups crispy friend onions

Preparation

1. In a casserole dish, layer the thawed whole okra, pour the sauce and cheese, and about half the crispy friend onions, salt to taste, stir well adding water/stock as needed
2. Bake in a 350°F oven for about 25 minutes till bubbly and thick; top with rest of the crispy fried onions and bake for another 4-5 minutes till the topping browns to desired crunchiness
3. Garnish and serve warm, adjust salt to taste

Mayocoba Beans in Acorn Squash Puree with Okra Brown Rice

Pinto, Black Turtle, Red Kidney, Black-eyed, Navy, Garbanzo, Adzuki, Cannellini, Lima, Fava, Hyacinth... we've been incorporating so many bean varieties into our diet over the years, just what we are able to find at the local markets, nothing exotic.

And, for the first time, a couple of weeks ago, I noticed the Mayocoba or Peruano beans at the grocery store, and promptly bought some to try. Turns out there was some controversy over these beans regarding patents.

These yellow-tinged off-white Peruano or Mayocoba beans are as large as pinto beans. At first, I thought they might taste much like cannellini or navy beans. But, I was pleasantly surprised to taste the rich flavor and meatier feel, which makes for good refried beans.

I soaked it overnight, and cooked it on stovetop, with some salt and brown sugar, till soft and firm but not mushy - about 30-40 minutes for 1½ cups of dry beans in 4 cups water. For refried beans, I prefer to pressure cook it till mushy.

Sometimes, I find it handy to cook and puree the squashes and add them to soups/curries/stews as a base/gravy. I had some acorn squash purée handy which I used here. But, tomato purée or even roasted red bell pepper purée, or a combination of them might taste fine too.

Ingredients
For the Mayocoba beans:
1 cup acorn squash purée
1 cup cooked Mayocoba beans
1 small yellow onion diced finely
1 small carrot, shipped (optional)
1 tsp Madras Curry powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp brown sugar
salt to taste
cilantro for garnish
water as needed

Sauté the onions, add the beans and the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer till flavors meld, garnish and serve warm with bread or rice.

For the Okra Brown Rice:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 small red or yellow onion, diced
1 tsp minced garlic
6 medium okras cut on a bias to 1-inch pieces
1 small carrot chopped
Spice Mix: 1 tsp cumin powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp ground/crushed oregano, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp paprika powder, 2 tsp dried parsley
salt to taste
1 Tbsp olive oil or hazelnut oil or even coconut oil for a strong tropical flavor

Combine the spice mix, stir well and store in an airtight container. Use as much as needed for flavoring the rice.

Heat the oil in a pan, sauté the onions, add the garlic, a tablespoon of spice mix, okra and stir fry till aromatic; add the cooked brown rice, stir well, adjust seasoning to taste. Garnish and serve warm.

Spicy Sauteed Okra with Collard and Turnip Greens

Whole okra stuffed and pan-fried is one of my favorite ways of enjoying this unique vegetable. However, sautéed okra with spices is a wonderful side I make whenever I crave it.

Fresh okras are hard to come by here and even then it costs an arm and a leg (at least for my budget), but frozen whole okras are reasonable and cook faster as they are par-cooked before freezing.

This is a simple dish open to variations in spices and greens. I like greens a lot, be it collard or mustard, turnip or radish greens, spinach or kale, they all bring their own benefits. In this recipe I used collard and turnip greens. Serve warm with rice or Indian/Ethiopian flat breads, or enjoy as-is.

Ingredients
About 20 whole okras, thawed if using frozen ones
3 to 4 cups of favorite greens cut coarsely
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 to 6 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 or 3 medium tomatoes, diced
spices (adjust to taste):
1 Tbsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek or any favorite chili paste
½ Tbsp Blue Agave Nectar or brown sugar (optional)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions, garlic and tomatoes, a pinch of salt and sauté till aromatic and onions turn translucent
2. Add the okra and greens, spices, some water, cover and simmer till veggies are cooked to your liking. I prefer the okra not too mushy
3. Taste and adjust flavors, garnish with cilantro if preferred

Brown Rice and Okra Stew

I love tangy sourdough bread bowls, and they are perfect for serving rich thick stews and soups. The bread bowl soaked with the goodness from the soup/stew is a filling treat.

Rather than baking my own bread bowls I left it to the master artisan bakers who supply it to my local grocery store. Simply warm per directions, slice the top, scoop out the innards and fill with stew.

Ingredients
2 cups frozen cut okra, thawed (fresh okra is hard to come by here)
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 stalk celery, chopped
½ cup cut baby corn
1 small red onion or a few shallots, diced
½ can stewed diced tomatoes (or fresh tomatoes if in season)
4 - 6 cloves of garlic, crushed
optional: cooked lima beans, peas, butter beans, double beans
6 cups water or stock
1 tsp canola or vegetable oil

Spices:
cayenne pepper, cumin powder, coriander powder (1 Tbsp each, or adjust to taste)
2 or 3 bay leaves
salt to taste
1 Tbsp brown sugar

garnish: spring onions, cilantro

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a pot, sauté the onions and garlic; add the celery, tomatoes, okra and any other vegetables, brown rice, some salt, spices and bay leaves, stock/water, cover and allow to simmer over medium heat till thickened
2. Stir in the brown sugar, adjust flavors to taste
3. Warm up the bread bowl per package directions and serve it filled with the stew, garnish with chopped spring onions and cilantro leaves

Gumbo

Several years ago, a fellow grad student from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, introduced me to Gumbo. She loved chicken and ham in it, sometimes she liked seafood gumbo. And, not being even half as adventurous back then, I only managed to taste a spoonful every time she made it.

Since then, I have gradually adapted her recipe to make my version of gumbo. Lately, we've been eating gumbo every other week for some reason, so, here's my easy vegetarian version.

Ingredients
Veggies: Okra, corn, tomatoes, red bell peppers, crushed garlic
Optional: Andouille chicken sausage (I leave this out usually)
Herbs & Spices: Cayenne pepper, Black pepper, Paprika, Thyme, Parsley, Bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce‡ (adjust quantity to taste)
Mirepoix: celery, onion, carrots all chopped finely
Garnish: Spring onions, fresh parsley
For the roux: 1 Tbsp all purpose flour, 1 Tbsp Canola oil
4 cups water or broth
1 Tbsp tomato paste
Salt to taste

‡: I use a vegetarian version of Worcestershire sauce that leaves out anchovies; also, for this recipe, can omit Worcestershire sauce altogether, if preferred.


Preparation

1. Make a dark roux: heat the flour in a pan and allow it to toast, then add the oil while stirring constantly to form a paste/roux
2. Add the mirepoix and sauté, then add the crushed garlic and tomato paste and sauté some more, adding a bit more oil if needed
3. Than, stir in the herbs and spices, veggies, sausage if using, and stock/water
4. Cover and allow to simmer for 25-30 minutes till veggies are cooked; adjust cooking time if using frozen or canned veggies
5. Garnish with spring onions and parsley and serve hot

Stuffed Whole Okra

Whole fresh okras are hard to come by where I live and in any case, I prefer the frozen whole okra as it is par-cooked and easier to use in my favorite okra recipes.

This Stuffed Okra is very similar in concept to stuffed bitter gourd, or stuffed brussel sprouts or stuffed baby eggplant - simply slit and stuff with favorite masala and pan fry till desired crispness.

Ingredients
frozen whole okra, thawed and patted dry
masala paste as in stuffed baby eggplant or as in stuffed bitter gourd
salt to taste
some oil

Preparation

1. slit and stuff the okra with the masala
2. heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a pan, place the stuffed okra and pan fry over medium heat turning often till well done; I like them a little charred on the outside :)

Bamya Alicha

Exotic Ethiopian Cooking by Daniel Mesfin is one of the books D gave me early in our marriage. I like the book. Simple recipes, easy to follow. The only thing I would have liked more is to have pictures of each of the dish along with the recipe on that page. The book does have assorted pictures of dishes spread around the book, though, with the caption and all.

Anyway, I use it as a guide more than following recipes to the letter. So, this recipe of Bamya Alicha, which is a spicy okra stew/side, usually served with Injera, is not strictly traditional and is not per the recipe in the book, thanks to my chronic inability to follow any recipe to the letter :)

Ingredients
½ package frozen cut okra
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1-2 red chilies
2 Tbsp grated ginger
3 cloves of garlic crushed or minced
salt to taste

spice powders:
2 tsp paprika powder
2 tsp allspice powder
1-2 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder (adjust to taste)
1 tsp nutmeg powder (optional)
2 tbsp canola oil
½ cup water

Preparation

1. heat the oil in a pan, add the tomatoes and sauté till soft
2. add the ginger and garlic, sauté till fragrant
3. add the cut frozen okra (no need to thaw - usually it is par-cooked and doesn't take long to cook through), some water, and some salt
4. cover and simmer till okra is tender
5. stir in the spice powders, simmer some more; adjust to taste

whole baby okra curry

Young baby okra is quite a vegetable. It doesn't seem to have a great strong flavor of its own, so, it works well with curries, I think.

This whole baby okra curry recipe is quick and easy if all the ingredients are handy - simply throw them together, simmer for a bit and it is ready.


Ingredients:
1 pkt frozen whole baby okra
1 can stewed tomatoes with chipotle (or 2 medium fresh tomatoes, sliced)
1 medium onion sliced
salt to taste
1 tsp canola oil
2 Tbsp Patak's Tikka masala paste (or, Patak's balti curry paste)

Preparation:

1. heat oil in a pan, add the onions and a pinch of salt, the masala paste, saute till onions turn translucent
2. add the tomatoes and okra, cover and simmer on low heat till flavors meld and okra is soft but not mushy; adjust salt to taste
3. serve warm with rotis, or, peas and cumin rice.
   

Instead of store-bought tikka masala or balti masala paste, i sometimes use a blend of my own: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, indian cinnamon bark, cloves, cardamom, star anise, dry red chilies - dry roast them and grind them with onions and ginger and some oil, into a fine paste.

spicy okra side

Okra and Eggplant(aubergine/brinjal) were ubiquitous when I was growing up. My mom made several dishes with them at least twice a week or so.

This okra recipe here is very simple as I use store-bought spices and frozen okra. I prefer frozen okra (cut, or whole) as the fresh ones are not readily available year round; and even when I do find them, they are tough and stringy, not quite tender as I would like them.

Ingredients:
1 pkt frozen cut okra, thawed
2 Tbsp madras curry masala powder
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder
1/2 tsp brown sugar (optional)
salt to taste
tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp urad dal, split, dehusked
2-3 curry leaves chopped (optional)
1 Tbsp canola oil

Preparation:

1. heat oil in a non-stick pan, add the tempering: urad dal first, when it turns golden brown, mustard seeds, and when they pop and die down, cumin seeds, finally curry leaves, lower the heat
2. add the okra (usually i prefer to thaw and pat the okra dry, else it gets a bit too slimy), curry powder, brown sugar and some salt; stir well; cover and let the okra sweat a bit in its own moisture till tender and cooked
3. remove the cover, and pan fry in medium high till desired brownness/crispness; adjust salt to taste
4. serve warm with roti or rice and rasam