Egyptian Okra Tajine

Ingredients 6 garlic cloves 1 large green pepper 1 green chili pepper (optional) Ghee 2 large onions, finely chopped 2 fresh or dry bay leaves 500 gm small-size okra 2 tbsp tomato paste 2 cups tomato juice 2 cups chicken or beef stock 1/4 cup basil leaves, finely chopped 1 tsp sugar Salt Pepper Olive oil Method 1) In a mortar, place the garlic, green pepper, chili pepper and a good pinch of salt. Ground the ingredients together with the pestle until a coarse paste is formed. Set aside. 2) In a deep cooking pan add a good amount of ghee. Sauté onions with bay leaves until tender and translucent. Add the garlic pepper paste and sauté for a couple of minutes with the onions. Add the okra and sauté for 3 more minutes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for 1 more minute. Add the tomato juice and stock. Season with cinnamon, sugar, salt & pepper. Allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes and then lower the heat and let it simmer on very low heat for 20 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a clay pot or tajine and mix in the chopped basil leaves. Put into the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the okra is well cooked and the sauce has thickened. Remove from oven and allow the tajine to rest for 5 minutes. 3) Sprinkle some olive oil on top and serve hot with some lemon wedges and white rice.   Recipes in this section provided by Sara Abdel Salam. A dedicated foodie, Abdel Salam is a food and menu specialist and consultant. She holds an MBA from the Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport but works as a professional food stylist and photographer (check out her portfolio on www.pinterest.com/saraasalam/my-cooking-mania) and as a TV chef on Tahrir channel’s Feha Haga Helwa. In 2010 Sara started Sara’s Kitchen (ww.facebook.com/KitchenSara), today one of the largest recipe-sharing communities in the Middle East with over 55,000 fans and followers. In 2012 she co-founded Beram & Tajine, the Middle East’s first Egyptian/Moroccan e-magazine, with Assia Othman. Browse the nine issues produced so far at issuu.com/beramandtajine. You can visit Abdel Salam’s youtube channel at www.youtube.com/user/matba5sara?feature=watch.