Name: Okra with Chickpeas, Lemon + Dried Mint
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 450 g (1 lb) fresh or frozen okra; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes; 1 jar Queen Chickpeas - with their bean stock; juice of 1 medium lemon; 230 ml water; 1 tablespoon dried mint; ½ teaspoon ground sumac (we like this meal quite sour; use more or less to your taste); Bread or plain rice

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Dietary key

V
Vegetarian
V*
Vegetarian Option
Ve
Vegan
Ve*
Vegan Option
G
Gluten-Free
G*
Gluten-Free Option
D
Dairy-Free
D*
Dairy-Free Option

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Okra with Chickpeas, Lemon + Dried Mint

HUGE thank you to the legend that is Özlem Warren - award winning Turkish food writer and chef - for sharing this beauty of a recipe from her new cookbook, SEBZE.

"In my hometown of Antakya, we would not only enjoy fresh okra in summer but also dried okra later in the year. There are many ways to enjoy okra throughout Türkiye (Turkey); as stew, flavoured with lemon juice; as a soup in central Anatolia; and in some regions meat is added. In the south, okra is combined with earthy chickpeas (garbanzo beans) for a substantial meal. Sumak ekşisi (sumac juice made from crushed sumac berries in water) can also be used to intensify the sour taste. With our southern Turkish heritage, this is how my mother would cook okra, with plenty of lemon juice, extra tang from ground sumac and freshness from dried mint (a must for us as it elevates the taste and works well with the sour sauce). I absolutely adore this humble, delicious, wholesome dish that is so easy to make. It’s not always easy to get fresh okra, although frozen okra is readily available and works very well".

Photography by Sam A. Harris

Credits to Sebze by Ozlem Warren and photography by Sam A. Harris

Feeds: 4

Takes: 40 minutes

Ingredients

450 g (1 lb) fresh or frozen okra
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes
1 jar Queen Chickpeas - with their bean stock
juice of 1 medium lemon
230 ml water
1 tablespoon dried mint
½ teaspoon ground sumac (we like this meal quite sour; use more or less to your taste)

To Serve

Bread or plain rice

Directions

step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.
step 2
Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, then stir in the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, lemon juice and okra, season with salt and pepper, and combine well.
step 3
Swirl the measured water in the tomato tin to get any remaining bits and pour into the pan.
step 4
Gently combine, cover and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 25–30 minutes until the okra is cooked but still firm, not mushy.
step 5
Gently stir only a few times so that the okra remain whole. Stir in the dried mint and sumac, gently combine well and remove from the heat.
step 6
Let the stew rest for 10 minutes, then serve with chunks of bread or plain rice on the side.

Recipe Note

If using fresh okra, wash, gently pat dry and only trim the hard top stem without cutting the pod itself, so that the okra won’t be slimy during cooking (keep the okra whole).

Okra with Chickpeas, Lemon + Dried Mint

Ingredients

To Serve

Directions

Recipe Note

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