Okra, also known as lady fingers, is a slightly unusual ingredient that isn't to everyone's taste - but luckily, this simple and fragrant dish makes them into something absolutely delicious. Serve it as a side dish with an Indian meal or with some plain boiled rice as a meal in itself.

Ingredients:

• 500g okra, trimmed, washed and dried
• 400g onions
• 5 tbsp. groundnut oil
• 2 tomatoes, peeled and deseeded
• 1 red chilli
• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• Handful of freshly chopped coriander
• 2 tbsp. water

Method of Preparation:

1. Slice the okra into 2cm pieces. Thinly slice the onions and finely slice the chilli after deseeding it.

2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and add the onions. Cook them for 10-15 minutes until browned and softened. Add the okra, then the tomatoes and chilli. Stir well.

3. The okra will release a sticky substance whilst cooking. This substance will cook off, so keep stirring and cook for another ten minutes or so.

4. Add the ground coriander and simmer for 5-10 minutes before adding the water. Cover and simmer for another 3 or 4 minutes.

5. To serve, stir the freshly chopped coriander through the curry.

The rather excellent thing about this curry is that if you halve the amount of oil, it becomes really rather healthy. You could always use an oil spray or an oil replacement to cook the vegetables in, although you may need to add more water as it could be a little dry. This recipe serves four.

Author: Laura Young

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