Brain food – Stir-fried Curried Okra

As a young child growing up in a South Indian Brahmin household, it was not surprising that I was reared to be a vegetarian, save for an odd serving of eggs, once in a while. We were considered a “progressive” brahmin family because my father ate eggs and my mother cooked them. But eggs aside, our diet was completely vegetarian with each meal having generous servings of vegetables. As my mother set the table for the family meal everyday, my father would sit at the head of the table, (with our beloved Labrador drooling at his feet for slyly dropped tidbits) and regale us with stories about any topic that struck his fancy that day.

The stories would meander through ancient history, Hindu epics, current events and life in general. Sometimes as he spun his yarn, he would suddenly cast a stern eye at whichever one of his daughters who was not eating her veggies and break off mid-sentence to lecture about health benefits of the veggie of the day.

One of those lectures was about Okra or “ladies finger” as it is called in India. My dad, with no real scientific study to back his proclamations, other than old, regurgitated information from his elders, would inform us solemnly that if we wanted to be smart and do well in math, we needed to eat Okra. Okra, according to my dad, was brain food!

Turns out my dad wasn’t too far off in his surmise.

Okra is known for its high vitamin B6, fiber, calcium, and folic acid, which helps prevent neural tube defects in developing fetuses. A serving of Okra contains only 25 calories, so if prepared in a low-fat recipe, it is an incredibly healthy addition to any meal.

In addition, the mucilage and fiber found in Okra helps adjust blood sugar by regulating its absorption in the small intestine. It helps reabsorb water and traps excess cholesterol, metabolic toxins and surplus bile in its mucilage and slips it out.

It is an ideal vegetable for weight loss and is a storehouse of health benefits provided it is cooked over low flame to retain its properties. This also ensures that the invaluable mucilage contained in it is not lost to high heat. Okra facilitates the propagation of good bacteria referred to as probiotics. These are similar to the ones proliferated by  yogurt in the small intestine and help biosynthesize Vitamin B complex.

Now, I know that fresh Okra is somewhat difficult to source in the US, so many people resort to buying the frozen Okra. My curried Okra recipe is made from fresh Okra. I would encourage you to try to locate the fresh Okra for this recipe since frozen Okra invariably becomes slimy when cooked.

The key point to note in cooking Okra is learning how to wash it, how to slice it thin, and how to cook it under slow fire. The recipe itself is very simple but a few missed steps can give this dish an entirely different taste. So try to follow the recipe carefully and you will soon be able to get your family to enjoy this very yummy, low fat, healthy “brain food”!

Here is what you need:
1 1/2 lbs fresh green Okra
1 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp red chili powder

Here is how you make this:
Wash the Okra thoroughly before chopping. Now cut the tops and bottoms off and chop into thin slices – see picture. Do not cut the slices too thick and do not wash after chopping or it will get slimy. Set aside.

In a pan, heat olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to crackle and add the chopped Okra. Sprinkle salt, chili powder and turmeric powder. Reduce heat and roast uncovered on a slow flame until brown. If necessary, drizzle a few drops of oil around the edges of the pan as it roasts.

Remove from the stove and serve with rice and rasam or yogurt.

Green Apple in Yogurt Sauce

South Indian Brahmins are known for their enormous affinity for yogurt. In India, people refer to yogurt as “curd”. No meal, and I mean literally no meal – breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack, is complete without a bowl of homemade curd.

Yogurt in India is usually home-made with live culture. Every night, before the housewife winds down and closes her kitchen, the last chore of the day is to add culture to pre-boiled milk to set yogurt (curd) for the next day. And every morning, the first chore is to refrigerate the new yogurt.

The new yogurt is used in a multitude of ways throughout the day: eaten plain, with sugar, made into Thair sadam, used a base for various sauces like “More Kozhambu” or “buttermilk sauce”. It is also used with fresh cut cucumber and onions to make “Raitas” or “Pachadis”.

I am a big fan of yogurt. My family consumes vast quantities every day. When I moved to the US, I tried to buy yogurt because no one I knew seemed to make it at home. I have tried various brands of buttermilk and yogurt. I found the unsweetened yogurts pasty and tasteless; I am not sure what they add in it to make it so. The sweetened yogurts are too sweet to be eaten as a meal accompaniment or used in Indian sauces. So I have finally decided to go back to my roots and now I make yogurt fresh and use live culture, just like I did when I lived in India.

Now that I have fresh home-made yogurt everyday, I am tempted to try all those Indian dishes that have yogurt as a base. I am also tempted to try out new dishes. One those new dishes is the “Green Apple in Yogurt Sauce”.

I first saw a green apple in the US. In India we used to get one variety of apple and that was the red apple. When I first tried a green apple, I was surprised at its tart taste. It isn’t very easy to eat as a fruit. But I have since read a lot about its fantastic nutritional qualities, most notably its Vitamin C, fiber and pectin content. So I have learned to use the green apple effectively in various dishes – combined with peppers in the Colorful pepper salad, and now in this simply fabulous recipe of “Green Apple Pachadi”.

This dish is simply heavenly – the tartness of the green apple combined with the natural sweetness of the yogurt and the hot spiciness of the habanero pepper panders to all the flavors the human tongue is used to: tart, sweet, sour and hot!

Without much ado, here is the recipe. This is a fabulously healthy dish, which is also very low-fat and low calorie. Make it in just 5 minutes! Enjoy!

Here is what you need:
1 large green apple (granny smith) (the tarter, the better!)
1 cup thick unsweetened yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

To Garnish:
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp split, peeled urad dal (for the crunch, optional)
1 pinch asofoetida powder
1 habanero or jalopeno pepper (finely chopped) (optional – but take heed, this is what brings out the flavor of the apple and yogurt and gives this pachadi a fantastic taste)
1 sprig fresh green cilantro leaves

Here is how you make this:
Wash and chop the green apple. Add to the yogurt. Add salt and sugar and mix well. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds. Wait for them to crackle. Now add the urad dal and brown until crisp. Now add the asofoetida powder and the chopped habanero and fry until crisp. (Ensure the habaneros are fried crisp – this will cut down the spice but retain the flavor of the habanero). Pour garnish over the pachadi. Decorate with finely chopped cilantro leaves.

Serve as an accompaniment to any spicy dish and rice. I generally serve with rice and sambar or with aloo paratha.

Colorful Pepper Salad

I know this may sound incongruous, but vegetarian Indians are not big fans of salads. In fact, not many Indian I know are salad eaters.

Oh, don’t get me wrong; vegetarian Indians do eat vegetables. Only not in salad form. Vegetables are a must at every meal – only they are cooked, steamed, curried or stir fried and never eaten raw. It may be because the vegetables that traditionally were available in India in the 80s, 90s and earlier were organically grown and we were not so sure if they were free of pests. Or maybe, we thought the veggies tasted better when cooked. Whatever the reason, from my childhood, I always ate cooked, steamed, curried, or stir fried vegetables and have stayed far away from salads.

When I moved to the US, I made a valiant effort to eat at the salad bar, but the only way I could swallow those large torn lettuce leaves was to smother them with dressing – beats the purpose! So, when I finally came across this multi-colored pepper salad at a friend’s potluck party, I was pleasantly surprised. I just loved it! I have modified it slightly from the  recipe given by my friend.

But feel free to experiment by throwing in your favorite vegetables whilst using the colored peppers as a base. This salad needs absolutely no dressing and is zero fat!

This is a meal that will satiate all your senses. The wonderful hues of color – red, orange and gold of the peppers, the gorgeous green of the green apple and celery, the earthy brown of the walnuts and the deep maroons of the cranberries and beans will excite your aesthetic curiosity. The crunch and texture of the peppers, celery and walnuts will satisfy your need to munch. The fresh aroma of chopped vegetables will entice even a picky youngster to give this salad a try. And the beans will get your digestive juices flowing.

This is also a very healthy and filling meal by itself – it needs no accompaniment. Make it the previous evening, refrigerate and pick it up for lunch at work the next day. Super quick and easy!

Here’s what you need:
1 large red bell pepper
1 large yellow bell pepper
1 large green bell pepper
2 stalks fresh green celery
3 small granny smith green apples
1 can red beans or garbanzo beans
handful chopped raw walnuts
handful cranberries or raisins
1 slit red chili for garnish (optional)

Here is how you make this:
Wash and chop all the vegetables. I generally chop really fine in order to bring out the flavors. Toss together and garnish with the slit red chili. Serve immediately or cold.