Description
Lightly sautéed okra and chickpeas, simmered in a tomato and sweet onion masala; it’s cozy, hearty, and bridges the gap between late summer and fall perfectly.
Ingredients
Scale
- 600 g (21.2 oz) thinly sliced okra
- 260 g (9.2 oz) finely diced sweet white onion (~3 small sweet onions)
- 335 g (12 oz) quartered sweet red cherry tomatoes
- 2” piece ginger, grated on a microplane (~1 tbsp grated)
- 4 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane (~1 tbsp grated)
- 1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/3 cup water + 2-3 tbsp extra if needed
- 1 (14 oz or 400 g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Prep and cook the okra. Preheat the oven to 450°F convection; alternatively, you can use a toaster oven (I use my Breville) on air fry at 450°F convection or your air fryer. Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside. Thinly slice the okra into coins about 1/4 inch thick – discard the stem and tip of the okra. Transfer half the okra to the prepared sheet pan, drizzle with a generous amount of avocado oil, and toss to coat. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the okra has reduced in size and is beginning to brown on the edges. Once the okra is done, pull from the oven, set aside in a bowl, and air-fry the remaining okra. NOTE: Air-fry the okra in batches to avoid overcrowding and steaming the okra – I typically do 2 batches total in a quarter sheet pan.
- Mise en place. Finely dice the onions and transfer to a small bowl. Quarter the cherry tomatoes and move aside on your cutting board; you’ll need to dice them further if you’re using larger tomatoes. Grate the ginger and garlic into a small bowl. Measure the spices and salt out into a small bowl and set aside.
- Cook the masala. Drizzle a generous amount of avocado oil into a large pot or saucier-style pot, and heat over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, dump in the onions. Sauté the onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Then sprinkle in the cumin seeds and grated ginger and garlic. Sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes – just enough to toast the cumin seeds and cook the garlic. Sprinkle in the powdered spices and bloom for 20-30 seconds. Lastly, add in the quartered cherry tomatoes and stir to coat everything thoroughly. Pour in the water, stir again, lower the heat to medium-low, and partially cover the pot. Let the masala simmer until thickened and the tomatoes have broken down, about 6-8 minutes. Feel free to blend the masala for a more finished look.
- Simmer the okra and chickpeas. Add the par-cooked okra and chickpeas to the masala, along with 2-3 tbsp water if needed. Stir and let simmer on medium-low, partially covered. Once the okra is softened, about 8 minutes, the dish is done. A good indicator that the okra masala has cooked enough is that you’ll see a small layer of oil separated at the top. Taste and adjust for salt as needed.
- Serve. Serve this paired with white rice or roti – love making keema with this dish as well.