Okra with mustard seeds

Serves 4

Okra with mustard seeds (Jason Lowe)

Some people can find okra off-putting, particularly if they have experienced the slimy canned stuff served in high-street Indian restaurants. When you deal with the fresh stuff, it's a completely different thing, especially if cooked briefly.

2tbsp ghee
1 green chilli, thinly sliced
2tsp ground cumin
2tsp yellow mustard seeds
2tsp black mustard seeds
tsp turmeric
tsp fenugreek seeds
2 medium onions, peeled, halved and finely chopped
6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 large firm tomatoes, finely chopped
250g okra, thinly sliced
200ml vegetable stock
2tbsp chopped coriander
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the ghee in a wide saucepan or frying pan and cook the spices for a minute on a low heat or until the mustard seeds begin to pop.

Add the onion and garlic and continue cooking on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring every so often, until the onions are soft. Turn up the heat, add the okra and cook for a couple of minutes so the okra cooks evenly.

Add the stock and tomatoes, season and continue cooking until the stock has reduced right down to almost nothing. Stir in the coriander, remove from the heat, season a little more if necessary and serve.