jay wrote:

> Add more liquid if needed. The slime will cook away. Yep add some meat
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> and serve with rice if you want. Okra takes very little thought or
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> skill to cook. Just wing it. I usually make okra and tomatoes with
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> canned diced or crushed tomatoes not paste and use a whole can for that
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> amount of okra. (~14.5oz)
>
>
>
> Okra, onion, tomatoes. Sweat the okra and onion down and add tomatoes,
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> salt, pinch of sugar and tabasco cook some more, eat. Of course place
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> nicely arranged on a pretty plate prior to photographs and then eat.


Funny, that hit my brain right after my post. The reason being that the sauce is so inexpensive. Water and tomato paste basically. It calls for 1 and 1/2 cups water and 1/4 cup paste. I can double that and add as the recipe dictates, then add more even after it's been cooked. I appreciate your response, haven't got to the others yet. I am going to post her recipe here. I will need to edit some stuff out because it takes up a lot of space. Stuff like how to cut the tips and ends off the okra a bunch at a time instead of just one at a time. I won't alter the recipe a bit. I liked it because it had a simple ring and reminded me of something my grandmother used to make.


Ingredients

* 2 lbs. okra (bamya)
* 2 tbsp olive oil
* 1 onion, minced
* 1 tsp minced garlic
* 1/4 cup tomato paste
* 1 tsp salt, or more to taste
* 1 tsp smoked paprika (or substitute regular paprika)
* 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes - if spice sensitive, use sparingly or omit
* 1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste

You will also need
Large saute pan with lid

Servings: 4 entree servings, 6-8 side servings

Prepare your okra by rinsing it clean, then slicing off the top and bottom tips of each piece. At this point the okra will feel slimy. Don't worry, it will lose that texture as it cooks.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan over medium. Add the minced onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes until softened and starting to caramelize.

When the onions are cooked, add the minced garlic to the pan and saute for another minute till fragrant. Add the okra to the pan and stir. It will feel like a lot of okra at first and the pan will be crowded, but it will quickly shrink up and soften as it cooks.

Whisk together 1 1/2 cups hot water, 1/4 cup tomato paste, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp cayenne. Both the red pepper flakes and cayenne add heat; if you are super spice sensitive, omit the pepper flakes and start with a pinch of cayenne, then add more to taste as desired.

Pour the tomato liquid evenly over the top of the okra. Bring to a boil.

Cover the saute pan with a lid, vented at the edge. Reduce heat to a simmer.. Let the okra cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the largest pieces of okra have softened to your liking. At the end of cooking, your tomato sauce should have reduced and thickened. If there is a lot of liquid in the pan, remove the lid and turn up the heat to a high simmer till the sauce has reduced (careful, don't let it burn!). Add more salt or spice to taste, if desired.

Serve okra hot. We usually eat it alone, but if we need a more substantial meal I serve it over rice, quinoa or couscous.

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