Tender okra sliced and simmered with tomatoes, onions, and palm oil into a silky, slightly mucilaginous sauce that clings beautifully to rice and fufu. A humble dish of pure comfort.
Nutrition & Info
Equipment Needed
Instructions
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1
Wash the okra and trim the stems. Slice into rounds about half a centimeter thick.
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2
Heat palm oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion until soft, about six minutes. Add the garlic and cook one minute more.
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3
Add the diced tomatoes and cook for eight minutes until they break down into a sauce.
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4
Add the sliced okra, scotch bonnet pepper, seasoning cube, and water. Stir well and bring to a simmer.
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5
Cook on medium-low heat for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally, until the okra is tender and the sauce has thickened with the natural mucilage.
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6
Remove the scotch bonnet pepper, adjust salt, and serve as a sauce over rice, fufu, or boiled cassava.
Did You Know?
Okra originated in Africa and has been cultivated on the continent for thousands of years, making it one of the few vegetables that traveled from Africa to the rest of the world.
Chef's Notes
Equipment Tips
- saucepan
- wooden spoon
- sharp knife
- cutting board
The Story Behind Salsa de Okra
Okra sauce is one of the oldest and most fundamental preparations in Equatorial Guinean cuisine, predating colonial contact by centuries. Okra is native to Africa and was cultivated in the tropical forests of Central Africa long before recorded history. In Equatorial Guinea, this simple sauce is everyday food, the kind of dish that every cook learns first. The mucilaginous quality of okra, sometimes controversial to outsiders, is prized in Central African cooking for its ability to create smooth, velvety sauces that pair perfectly with starchy staples.
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