Wow, I cannot believe its taking me so long to publish this recipe but so happy I'm finally posting it! Let me explain why it took a long time. First off, I am so not technologically savvy. Despite it being SO easy supposedly to use these sites, I still find it quite challenging. And the second reason is I sort of suck at writing down exact measurements, so I actually still need to go back and revise. I'm so used to tasting as I go and adjusting as I need it's tough to write a concrete recipe. I'm glad I'm doing this though so I can find my recipes in an organized and clear manner (just today I realized that my pages document with all my moms recipes that I've collected over the years and just jotted down as she was cooking is somehow lost! Visiting the genius bar pronto.) that hopefully one day little Ayla can follow and recreate memories. Thank you for reading and if you make this recipe please post a picture and tag it #sweetpillarfood! And please comment and show me some love!
INGREDIENTS
- Okra (I used frozen cut okra from whole foods frozen section)
- Beef chunk (I've used a variety of meats in the past; ground beef etc)
- 1 diced tomato
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 minced garlic
- 1/2 cup Basil
- Beef broth or chicken stock (I usually use chicken stock if I'm making it with ground beef otherwise I use the broth of the meat I'm using)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Boil beef chunk for roughly 40 minutes on low heat with bay leaf, cardamom, onion and s&p (salt and pepper are essential, the rest are for additional flavor); Set aside
- Sauté the okra (I used the frozen cut okra from Whole Foods) with oil, garlic and diced onion for roughly 3-5 minutes
- Add the tomato for additional 1-2 minutes
- Add 1 cup of water or stock (using the beef broth or chicken stock adds a lot more flavor)
- Add 1 can of tomato sauce
- Add the meat
- Once it boils, cover and reduce heat
- Let it simmer for roughly 5-7 minutes
- Add pressed garlic and basil and stir
- Let is simmer, covered for an additional few minutes
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT:
- If the sauce is too reduced, add more water/stock
- If the sauce taste too diluted, add a tablespoon or so of tomato paste
- Serve with rice or pita bread and/sliced green peppers (optional)