NATURE | CREATIVITY| INSPIRATION
Multifaceted Hero of My Kitchen
Elegant Okra Begum (Lady)
Vegetables add flavor, flair, and fun to our palate. Without them, our foods will have no color, complexity, or charisma. Vegetable varieties are endless, variations are limitless, and their presence makes us healthier, heartier, and happier.
A morsel of them is delectable, a mouthful of them is palatable, and even a mote is enjoyable. Eating them raw, steamed, and baked retains their full nutrients. Wholesome diets should contain generous amounts of veggies. Over-eating them is not a thing, and it’s definitely not a health hazard.
Picky eaters can drop them in stews, soups, and smoothies-never any excuse not to eat them.
Now I’m convinced that Dr. Preeti Singh is a mind reader; otherwise, why does every week she make us write about the things we already love so much, from sunrises to sunsets, from indoor plants to outdoor trees-you get my point? 😂😂
I love all the vegetables as they’re suitable for digestion, affordable, and offer opportunities for experimentation to create delightful dishes in the shortest amount of time.
It’s hard to pick one vegetable that would have a universal appeal, and there are some serious contenders like potatoes, peas, and pumpkins because of their unbelievable taste. However, my favorite one trumps all of them hands down-Okra/Ladyfinger. Usually grown in hotter climates but easily available in every supermarket around the globe.
For me, choosing okra from the bins when they’re fresh (I wait for the fresh consignment) is like a soothing ritual. When I bring them home-they’re lovingly washed in vinegar as the acidity of the vinegar kills bacteria. Then they’re dried with a soft kitchen towel one at a time. Then I gently cut their heads and tails, cut them into different shapes.
I can eat them as baked every day of my life.
I think Okra Begum (lady) is so beautiful and amicable that it’s a crime not to cook with potatoes that create a riot of flavor as they gel so well together. I cut okra and potatoes length (two to three inches). I temper them with roasted cumin powder, salt, and black pepper and transfer them into the oven (350 degrees F) fifteen times. Okra with potatoes can be enjoyed with hot millet rotis and mixed lintels.
The second kind of okra combination is with tomatoes, which involves cooking time on the stove. I sauté tomatoes on slow heat after a lavish tempering of roasted cumin powder, Spanish paprika, and salt, and then add okra. They’re ready to eat in twenty minutes with quinoa pulao.
I love to pamper myself on the weekends by baking okra in a yogurt-coated paste loaded with spices like roasted cumin, Spanish paprika, black pepper, and garlic-ginger paste. Okra is transformed into a fiery spicy dish that is soft and melts like honey. I enjoy them with brown rice or pulao.
I have all these dishes stacked up in my freezer, and this weekend I will tackle Madame Peas. Another day to experiment, create, and enjoy cooking something simple, something special, and something sassy.❤️❤️
© Fatima Imam (All Rights Reserved)
It was such a pleasure to read some fantastic reads on this prompt. Here they’re:
Neera Handa Dr shared her love of vegetables by sharing the beauties from the garden:
William J Spirdione’s fantastic take on the prompt and this phrase is so apt, “Vegetables’ bright colors attract the hunter-gatherer inside us.”
This post is written in response to Dr. Preeti Singh’s nature-inspired prompt for Reciprocal:
Sincere thanks to the editors of Reciprocal: Sahil Patel and Dr. Preeti Singh for their consistent support and encouragement. ❤️❤️
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