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.