Teczcape-An Escape to Food

Besides bitter melon and eggplant, okra is another vegetable that falls under the "Love-it-or-Hate-it" list. Quite different from bitter melon which some dislike due to its bitter taste, it is the texture of okra (likewise for eggplant) that puts some people off - mushy eggplant, slimy okra. I am fine with that.

Steamed okra,  beets, kale, broccolini, red bell peppers, snap peas, topped with apple

While okra performs well in a stew- or braise-like dish e.g. Pumpkin, Green Bean, Okra Stew, I also enjoy 5-minute steamed okra in warm salad bowls.

Besides bitter melon and eggplant, okra is another vegetable that falls under the "Love-it-or-Leave-it" list. Quite different from bitter melon which some dislike due to its bitter taste, it is the texture of okra (likewise for eggplant) that puts some people off - mushy eggplant and slimy okra. If I have just one choice, I pick okra over eggplant.

Besides, it is okra season, is it not (and apples too!) ? Sometime in late August till October, farmer's markets are blessed with freshly harvested vibrant-green and tender-plump okra; unlike those sad brownish bruised-and-dull-looking okra usually found in the grocery stores other months of the year.

Steamed okra,  beets, kale, broccolini, red bell peppers, snap peas, topped with apple

While okra performs well in a stew- or braise-like dish e.g. Pumpkin, Green Bean, Okra Stew, I also enjoy 5-minute steamed okra in warm salad bowls.

While okra does well in a stew- or braise- like dish e.g. Pumpkin, Green Bean, Okra Stew, it also works seamlessly as a simple appetizer dish.


When prepared the correct way, the "slime" can be reduced while maintaining the tender crunch of fresh okra. The correct way from my experience is the simple way - roast, steam or blanch. I have tried roasting (Roasted Okra), steaming (Steamed Okra) and today, comes another success in blanching in which whole okra was immersed in boiling water for no more than 5 minutes; then served warm with a creamy sauce-dressing.

I would never have imagined combining carrots and okra in a same dish unless it is stew where both ingredients are cooked in such a order that renders stewed carrots similar in texture to stewed okra in the final dish.


After recent experiments e.g. Ratatouille-Inspired Roasted Vegetables and Roasted Vegetables Spiced Curry in roasting that attempted to fully load the oven, I found that carrots and okra do come in unison when roasted tender.

Sweet roasted carrots and smoky roasted okra taste delicious and hearty, and a good accompaniment side dish to roasted entree - chicken or fish.

Traditional ratatouille, the stew, starts with a base of tomatoes, garlic, onions, spices and seasonings with layers of vegetables e.g. eggplant, bell peppers, cooked in the base, then finished off either in the oven or over the stove-top.


What you are seeing here today may not be traditional ratatouille but to capture the spirit of French chef and restaurateur - Joël Robuchon of The Complete Robuchon: "The secret of a good ratatouille is to cook the vegetables separately so each will taste truly of itself".

This is how the roasted vegetables in this recipe are done. Seasoned and cooked in separate trays within a single oven roast, so that when they are combined in a single dish, each vegetable will taste truly of itself.


Similarly, the tomatoes are also "cooked" separately in a "no-cook" way - immersed in extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and basil, salt and black pepper.

Ratatouille is usually served as a side dish, but may also be served as a meal on its own (accompanied by pasta, rice or bread).

Why have I not tried roasting okra earlier? Besides stir-frying okra (which I seldom do), I usually either steam them e.g. Steamed Okra with Gochujang Sauce or cook them in stews e.g. Squash and Okra Stew. Not only does roasting imparts a smoky flavor to okra, this quick and easy recipe also cuts down the slime in okra when they are roasted whole.

Okra is not an ingredient or vegetable that I often cook with; not because I do not like it but fresh tender local okra is not easy to come by. When I saw some fresh ones at the Asian supermarket, there was no hesitation to buy them even though it is not super cheap - a pack of maybe 20-25 for about $3 (at $3.99/lb). Fresh local okra is also currently piling up the farmers markets' booths, so do enjoy more okra before its season ends.

Many times, okra is used in stews because when cooked/braised, they natrually thicken up gravies e.g. gumbos. Similar to fresh fish, I like to steam fresh okra, and enjoy the fresh sweetness of this vegetable. When not over-cooked, the tender-crunch of okra is a test of freshness.



Other than being a rich source of dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins mentioned here, okra also propagates good bacteria in our intestines; as the fiber and mucilage (slimy texture when cooked) actually help adjust blood sugar by regulating its absorption in the small intestine. To reduce the slime, it is usually suggested to avoid overcooking or cook it whole.


Steaming is definitely one way to avoid over-cooking; plus it is an easy, fuss-free and relatively clean cooking method. Interestingly, I actually enjoy steamed eggplant, and steamed okra for its natural clean flavors, and easy-cooking of course.

In this recipe, the okra is sliced half length-wise so that the sauce dressing thoroughly flavors up the entire dish. You can steamed them whole if you prefer.

When the weather gets cooler day by day, soups gets thicker becoming stews; spice cravings becomes stronger and stronger. It won't be long before we want more spice in soups and stews especially in winter (just less than 3 months away).

This dish here is appropriately perfect for the fall weather now. The mild spice that works in well when paired with steamed rice.


There are usually more than one type of dried anchovies sold in the Asian grocery store. The larger size ikan bilis (seen here); and the smaller version used in this dish.

This is a home-cooked Filipino dish that I learned from my parents' helper L, during my recent Singapore trip. According to her, this is her favorite dish back in the Philippines and she can have it paired with steamed rice, every day.

To keep my memory of this dish fresh and intact, I tried to cook this dish when I was back in the Bay Area.


Verbally, L has told me that some toasted (crispy) ikan bilis can be added to the dish for added flavor. However, for this round, I decided to keep it vegetarian with kabocha squash, okra and green beans.

Did you also see that the skin of the squash was left intact? Ever since I found that the skin can be cooked down to soft and tender, I have not wasted it! The skin is great source of fiber and I am sure it has nutrition value too. Just make sure to rinse it clean, before cooking.

I have cooked this dish many times since. This dish is best paired with steamed rice (think of the golden creamy squash sauce!) but because the gravy is so creamy delicious, it can also pair with thick strand-type noodles that pick up the sauce as the noodles are slurped!

Just as the other half at home was down with a cough arising from scratchy itchy throat recently, I had to be extra careful of the food I cooked at home. I bought a bag of okra before his cough condition got worse and was worried if okra would make the cough better or worse? Okay if okra had "neutral" effects, at least it is not the food that cause the cough to get worse.


So this is spicy and not suitable for sore throat/cough conditions but it is my share.

His portion/serving was also steamed but the change of dressing/sauce to non-spicy is easy - a drizzle of soy sauce + sesame oil.


Steamed Okra with Spicy Shallots
Prepare spicy shallots in a saute pan with 1/2 shallots, thinly sliced ; 1/2 tsp of sambal belacan and 1-2 tbsp water. Set aside the spicy shallots. Steam 10-12 okra, sliced at a bias, for about 8 minutes till okra is just cooked tender. If you prefer, you can steam it longer 10-12 minutes for softer version. Add the spicy shallots over the steamed shallots when ready to serve.


Okra is is a rich source of dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins with healthy amounts of vitamin A, and flavonoid antioxidants such as beta carotenes, xanthin and lutein. These compounds are known to be essential for vision. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin.

Okra is also a good source of folates, Vitamin K, Vitamin-C,and rich in B-complex group of vitamins like niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid. The pods also contain good amounts of vitamin K.

Sharing Okra with Weekend Herb Blogging WHB#342 hosted by Anca of Matrioska's Adventures

Tag: okra, steamed okra

Vegetables or fruits cannot be any bad for the health and body. However, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there is certainly a vegetable OR fruit that can make an ill condition worse, even when it is just mild cough. If you have a common cold/cough, the advice you most likely get from a TCM practitioner is:

AVOID COLD DRINKS/FOOD
AVOID CHICKEN if the cold/cough comes with phlegm
AVOID FISH, EGGS
AVOID SPICE/CHILI
AVOID Fruits such as ORANGE, PINEAPPLE, KIWI


Yes. Avoid this and avoid that. Sometimes, I wonder, just what can we eat when down with cold/flu, cough etc.?

Anything light and nourishing should be fine, and I usually fall back on soups.

Do you avoid any kind of food when you get sick - e.g common cold or dry/phlegmy cough ?

I was planning to cook okra (秋葵 - Qiu Kui, 羊角豆 - Yang Jiao Dou) one day and found that okra (also called lady's finger) has been used in ancient medicine to treat persistent dry cough and throat irritation. Interesting...

And in-season okra is so fresh! Happy...

Tag: okra, lady's fingers, traditional Chinese medicine

When this Chinese okra dish was served recently, some of you left comments about not being a fan of okra. This Chinese okra is no way close to the okra we all know in terms of texture and taste. Chinese okra is more commonly known as Singua around the bay area farmers markets and Asian supermarkets. The Chinese okra tastes mild and has a pillowy texture (when cooked). Importantly, it is NOT SLIMY. I am guessing its longitudinal shape with ridges is the closest bet of Chinese okra sharing similar naming to okra.


So now, I enjoy pillowy Chinese okra and slimy okra. Due to the different taste and texture, both ingredients call for different cooking methods - usually quick-cooking soups (滚烫) and stir-fries for Chinese okra; typically stews, sometimes stir-fries for okra. My go-to when it comes to okra is usually a stew with tomatoes. Okra with spicy sambal belacan  is of course another popular Singapore/Malaysian way to prep. and cook  okra. However, since I tried steaming Chinese okra recently, why not try keeping it simple again.

Steamed okra!!!  Oh yucky yucky did I hear? I am combining one of most detested (by  many) vegetables with one of the most so-called "bland" ways of cooking.

But this time, this even simpler steamed dish heightened by crispy fried shallots! Fried shallots are so so aromatic! If you have not tried them, YOU SHOULD! The most fragrant garnish in my opinion. With fried shallots, a dish such as fried bee hoon can become a different tasty entity. A so-called plain vegetable soup can also turn one of the tastiest with fried shallots.

I am not a fan of eggplants, as some of you have realized in my comments in your blogs or in my own writings.

But I have had this spicy eggplant dish in an Indian restaurant before and found it very delicious. Tomatoes- yes! Once again, if I could encourage you to try bittermelon with tomatoes, why can't I convince myself to do eggplants with tomatoes so that I would eat eggplant?

To create more substance and add more vegetables in this dish, I use another old recipe of mine - okra with tomatoes and include some eggplant mash into an already stew-like dish. Okra is very good in stews since the "slimy" factor perfects the stew consistency. Remember the last time you had Gumbo? Traditionally, one of the key ingredients is okra. Today, however, gumbo has evolved to the point where it is often made without the inclusion of okra.

So I decided to add the mash of one eggplant and make myself eat eggplant.

Can't even see the eggplant....it is that obvious.

Turmeric is definitely a spice that I have used more often now, because of my likes all around Indian food. Remember Spicy Green Beans, Spicy Green Beans with Carrots, Cabbage Curry and Curried Potato and Mushrooms? Love them with turmeric! And for Think Spice event, hosted at Bengali Cuisine in November, I have this easy tomato okra recipe that makes use of spices such as turmeric, cumin and black pepper. Turmeric.....AHhhhhhhhh...this spice has touted health benefits too.


Spiced Okra with Tomatoes
Ingredients: 3 gloves garlic, minced; 3 shallots, thinly sliced, 1 medium-sized tomato; okra, sliced into cubes; salt, to taste; 1/4 tsp of ground cumin; 1/4 tsp of turmeric; 1 tsp curry powder; ground black pepper, to taste

Directions: Heat 1tbsp of oil in a frying pan. Add garlic and shallots and saute till fragrant. Add tomatoes and okra, mix well; add cumin turmeric, curry powder, then some water, and allow it to simmer at low heat for 10-15 minutes. When mixture(okra) start to turn tender, add salt and black pepper to taste and continue to simmer till gravy is mostly absorbed into the okra. Serve with steamed rice.



Tag: okra, turmeric

I never want to handle that okra again. It's not only funny on the outside (resembles a finger, thus a.k.a lady's fingers), it's also funny in the the inside (all that slime...slimy). You gotta know what the slime is up to while you cook it.

Tips to reduce THAT slime include frying the okra in high-heat within a short time, making less cuts to the okra(the more, and smaller you cut, the more SLIME), not introducing moisture while frying okra, and blanching in boiling water-then-plunging in ice-cold water. This is such a "difficult" plant vegetable to work with. It is even suggested that okra should not be cooked in a cast-iron or aluminium pot, to prevent them from turning "black" and thus unappetizing.

I can't handle that high heat! So, to ensure my okra gets cooked in the hot pan within 1 minute, I decided to "cheat" - and blanch them in boiling water first. Now, I can rest assured my okra does not end up uncooked/hard under my frying.

Okra with sambal chilli
Ingredients:
-okra; blanch whole okra pods in boiling water for about 4-5 mins; remove with a slotted ladle and cool it in a bowl of ice water or until just tender (but still crisp). When cool, trim off the cap- and tail- ends.
-1tbsp of sambal chilli (GLORY brand Nonya Sambal Chilli); up to 2tbsp if you love HOT spicy
-1tbsp dried shrimps

Method:
1.Heat oil at medium-high in frying pan
2.Fry dried shrimps
3.Add in sambal chilli and continue frying for ~1 min, gradually turning on heat to high
4.On high heat, add in okra and fry quickly, just to "coat" the chilli-shrimp mix onto the already cooked okra
5. Dish up and serve

Tag: sambal belacan, okra, lady's finger, sambal chilli