Let's play a game... I'll name a food and you should think of just one thing that best describes it. So, let's start with cheese. Is it a salty, melting goodness? How about chocolate? Do you think of something that cracks and then melts in your mouth? Now, how about Okra? Is it its gluey-like substance that first enters your mind? If so, did you know that you can skip this, and actually enjoy this nutritious vegetable (rich in fiber, Vitamin C & K) just like any other?
Yes, you can. This Baked Okra recipe, keeps Okra nice and firm, without letting it release that gluey thing (Yeap, last time I'm mentioning this). The trick to skip this is to add some vinegar and let okra sit with it for at least 30 minutes. No need to rinse it off afterward just proceed with the cooking.
And because it's a Baked Okra And Tomatoes, it's so much more flavorful than plain baked okra. We always cook it like this in Greece. Just like we do with Green Beans In Tomato Sauce or Green Peas In Tomato Sauce for example.
To make it you can use either fresh or frozen and cook it exactly the same way. In this recipe I used frozen ones and they turned out delicious! Just let them unfreeze in your fridge overnight and then drain in a strainer.
How To Make Baked Okra And Tomatoes
To make this Baked Okra And Tomatoes, you only need a handful of ingredients. Including some red, juicy and ripe tomatoes. The better the tomatoes the more flavorful this dish will be. Also, a bit of red onion, quality olive oil like this one, fresh herbs like dill and parsley, and some red wine vinegar to prepare the okra.
If you think your ingredients aren't as fresh or flavorful as you would like them to be (because it isn't that time of the year for example) then you can add 1 cup of vegetable stock instead of water when preparing the sauce.
You may sprinkle crumbled feta cheese on top towards the last 5 minutes of baking and serve it as a Vegetarian Saganaki.
SERVE WITH ⬇
Serve with a drizzle of raw virgin olive oil on top, and a sprinkle of fresh parsley and dill. In Greece, we always serve these types of dishes with feta cheese and olives on the side.
If you want to serve this dish as a side dish, then it goes nicely either with this Spicy Sausage And Peppers or with some Greek Roast Chicken.
Recipe
Baked Okra And Tomatoes - Greek Bamies
Ingredients
- 450 grams / 15.9 oz okra (fresh or frozen)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small red onion minced
- 2 small tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Place okra in a small pan or baking dish. Drizzle with the red wine vinegar on top and mix well.
- Let okra rest for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 392°F.
- Drizzle okra with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Sprinkle some salt and pepper on top.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile start making the sauce.
- Heat remaining olive oil in a small saucepan over high heat.
- Add the onion and cook until softened and golden in color.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes until they start to look mushy. Pour in a cup of water, season with salt and pepper. Stir in the herbs.
- Pour the sauce all over the okra and place back in the oven.
- Bake for another 40 minutes or so. Until the water has drained completely.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, parsley, and dill on top. And Some feta cheese and kalamata olives on the side.
Nutrition
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Thanks for the post!