Wednesday, February 04, 2015

Sambal Okra

I did say I would attempt to utilize the kitchen a bit more this year. However, trying out new recipes doesn't excite me, unless I want to eat them. You know how much the idea of cooking thrills me. *utmost sarcasm* I keep a vegetarian kitchen, preferring not to handle raw meat or seafood. I glance at a few recipes and that's about it. The steps aren't exactly followed. I cook according to memories, instincts and tastebuds, and what I ultimately want to taste on the plate.

The girlfriend passed me a bunch of okra from her garden. She texted a reminder, "Freshly harvested. Eat now!" Okaaay. I rarely order okra at the eateries because they always screw it up. It's usually overcooked and slimy. I hate that. With this batch of beautiful okra, I ought to do it justice. Pounded up some sambal. Both grandmothers used to make sambal of all sorts on a daily basis. They would always put me to work in the kitchen; I'll never forget how to make sambal in its various flavors. Growing up in an Asian kitchen, it's a nurtured inclination to do a stir-fry on any given day, I suppose.

Decided to do sambal okra. Probably the only way I would eat okra. Stir-frying it as bhindi masala could work too. I just want it dry and spicy. First time cooking this. Using a knife to dice onions and garlic was absolutely therapeutic. :P Pulled out the pan to stir-fry on a day when I didn't feel like going into the office and rather handle emails at home. In less than 20 minutes, lunch was ready. Super firm and crunchy non-slimy sambal okra with tiny ball of wild rice and mixed grains. That was a quiet tasty filling lunch for one. #impieCooks2015 

2 comments:

D said...

oh must be yummy! i don't normally eat okra too, except with sambal and indian okra with yoghurt sauce, but only if it's cooked well with the okra still firm.

imp said...

Heh. Yea, same. But so tough to find them perfectly cooked at eateries!