Okra Stir Fry

By: Esther Vasa
Okra's fiber helps promote probiotics so needed for maintaining healthy intestines. It has anti-inflammatory properties. For those suffering with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or ulcers this is a must-eat vegetable. It helps in regulating blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Ingredients:
Tender Okra – 1 pound
Onion – 1 cut lengthwise
Garlic – 4 cloves (Crush)
Ginger – ½ inch (Crush)
Cayenne Pepper – few pinches
Salt – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric – 1/4th tsp
Dried basil and parsley – 1/4th tsp each
Extra virgin olive oil – 2 tsp

Preparation:

Heat up a steel frying pan and spray olive oil cooking spray. Stir fry the onions for a minute and set aside.

Wash the okra and dry it with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and set aside. Cut the ends of okra and put a slit in each at the center just enough to stuff the spice mixture we will prepare in our next step.

In a mixing bowl, put the crushed ginger and garlic, salt, cayenne pepper, salt, coriander and cumin powder and mix it with a teaspoon of water. You now have a thick paste of spice mixture. Insert a little of this mixture in each okra slit carefully.

In the pan that you used for onions, put the oil and allow it to heat up a bit. Add the okra and stir it occasionally. Let this fry for about 5 minutes. This way you will not lose the rich gooey substance from within okra. Add in the fried onions and stir for a minute. Finally sprinkle the dried basil and parsley and give it a mix. Transfer into a serving bowl.

Preparation Time: About 20 minutes

Serves: 3