Name: Okra and Zucchini in Harissa-Tomato Sauce
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1½ cups (180 g) grated ripe tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes, with their juices; 1½ cups (240 g) coarsely chopped onions; 2 pounds (1 kg) small zucchini, trimmed and halved vertically or cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) rounds; ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil; 2 tablespoons h’rous or harissa, or 2 to 3 teaspoons Maraş pepper, or a good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes; 1 cinnamon stick; 1 tablespoon ground turmeric; ⅓ cup (80 ml) red wine vinegar; 1½ tablespoons salt, plus more as needed; 1 pound (500 g) small okra (no longer than 3 inches/7.5 cm), tops trimmed, if you like; pinch of sugar; Labne or feta cheese for serving (optional); Bulgur or rice pilaf, couscous, polenta, or bread for serving; 2 cups (120 g) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Mediterranean Vegetarian Feasts

By Aglaia Kremezi

Published 2014

About

Okra is braised in thick tomato sauce throughout the Mediterranean. But the thick sauce poses a problem: Stirring during cooking crushes the pods to mush, defeating the point of all the hard work that was once done in paring the stems. In Egypt women found a way to cook the pods to silky tenderness without letting them get mushy—they bake the okra, often together with meat or poultry in a rich tomato sauce (see Note). Adopting this method, I spice up