We used to visit a Farmer’s Market this summer. It was a fun place, with lots of fresh produce, lively music and livelier people! Once we came home with quite a lot of vegetables, mainly, red okra, brinjal/eggplant and button mushrooms. I had planned to blog about it, but it somehow got lost in my Drafts folder. Better late than never, right?
Would you look at those lovely colors?!!
I was seeing red okra for the first time in my life. Once cooked, they looked and tasted just like regular okra. We got them on a Saturday, and by dinner-time that night, most of these veggies were consumed!
The pictures are not that great since it was late and I was in an awful hurry. I will try recreating these dishes another time and post better pics.
I stuffed a few of those mushrooms and made masala okra. The eggplants were saved for another day, thinly sliced, seasoned and oven roasted.
SIMPLE VEGETABLE STUFFED BUTTON MUSHROOMS
You will need:
- Oil – 1 tbsp
- Onion – 1 small, finely chopped
- Garlic – 1 tsp, finely chopped
- Green pepper – 1/2, finely chopped
- Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
- Dried herbs like oregano or basil – 1 tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Shredded cheese – to top the mushrooms
- Button mushrooms – 10-12, cleaned and stalks removed
How to:
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 deg.F and line a baking pan with foil.
- Heat oil in a pan. Saute the onions, garlic, green peppers and the chopped up mushroom stalks, till the onions are soft and lightly golden.
- Add cumin powder, herb seasonings and salt. Remove from heat.
- Spoon the prepared filling on to each mushroom. Top with a little shredded cheese.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or till the cheese is melted. Serve hot as an appetizer or starter.
Variations:
- You can brown some ground meat to make a non-vegetarian version. Increase the baking time slightly.
Stuffed mushrooms are actually so easy to prepare and they make the perfect starters to a meal.
PAN-FRIED MASALA OKRA/LADY’S FINGERS
You will need:
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Cumin seed – 1/4 tsp
- Okra or Lady’s fingers – 1 lb (400 – 450 gm)
- Red chili powder – 2 tsp
- Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
- Salt – 1 tsp or to taste
How to:
- Wash and pat dry the okra first. Make sure they are dry, otherwise you will have a slimy mess when you prep them. Remove the ends of each okra and cut them length wise.
- Make a mixture of red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt with a few drops of water and spread liberally on the cut sides of the okra.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard and cumin seeds.
- When the mustard seeds start sputtering, add the okra and shallow fry them till lightly seared on all sides. Do not cover the pan.
- They are done when you can poke them comfortably with a fork. Serve hot as a side to steamed white rice and curry.
I love it when dinner time is so simple yet delicious!
I am linking this up at the following event at Harini’s blog.
Wow such a lovely starter,thx for linking to my event 🙂
Thanks for hosting, Harini!
Ive seen red okras and used them, the color fascinates me and my kid 🙂 your button mushrooms are so cute. Perfect party appetizers.
They are such a pretty color!
The button mushrooms were so fresh, I didn’t want to chop them up and lose them in some curry. They worked perfectly for stuffing.
Yum! I’ve never had okra… But I pretty much love all veggies. I’ll have to try it!
Oh, please do. They are quite different from any other vegetable.
red okra??? it’s my first time seeing and hearing about it. Both the okra and mushrooms look good.
They do, don’t they? There is something so inviting about fresh veggies!
I was absolutely ignorant that this beauty exists in red color too!! Thanks for sharing Anjana! Stuffed mushrooms look fantastic! 🙂
Absolutely! Thank you. Hope you try it.
I am not a huge fan or okra, but I like it when it’s deep fried and lost in some sort of stew like gumbo. However, your recipe sounds interesting and I should give okra a second chance!
You definitely should. This just might convert you.
People usually have issues with the slimy texture of okra. Marinating it in spices and pan searing it with a little oil usually gets rid of it.
Hi Anjana,
You clearly are creative with stuffed dishes. Those bhindis make me feel hungry! Tell me what oil do you use for these dishes?
Shakti
Thank you. I use regular veg oil for cooking.
Never knew red lady’s finger existed.. 🙂 Thanks for sharing this..
Me too. The way I behaved, the vendor must have thought I’ve been starved for weeks!
🙂
I had never heard of red okra! What a beautiful colour! Would you use it the same way as you use the green ones?
Yes, they taste like regular okra. But the red color is brilliant!
Veggies are so beautiful, aren’t they? I’ve never had okra, but these recipes look like a delicious way to try them!
Oh, do try them. They are fantastic with those simple spices.
Fantastic looking okra here.. First time that I have seen these beauties :). The stuffed button mushrooms look gorgeous too.
They are quite lovely, right?!
I love crispy okras….haven’t eaten them in a while…Your pics have made me craving for some now 🙂
I am not a big fan of okra. So, most of the time, I end up doing something like this 🙂
Striking red okra! I’ve never seen before x lovely mushrooms! 🙂
They are quite lovely!
Wow I’ve never seen red okras, they look so lovely in colour. I do love a good okra curry this one will be in the list to try x
They do look lovely, right?! Do try this simple recipe. Okra is not my fave veggie, but I love this simple masala bhindi dish. Do give this a try!
I will do x