Tandoori Spiced Okra Curry

I love when Will kinda-sorta makes up recipes. He partially based this okra curry recipe off of another that we like to make, but improved it with the help of our newest Indian spices-the curry powder from our Indian-Approved Chicken Curry, as well as the new tandoori spice we picked up that day too. I have to say, I much prefer this okra curry to the other one he made, just because it had a creamy sauce as opposed to a sliced veggies "sauce." Also, he cooked the okra perfectly so it didn't have any of that slimy texture that it can tend to get (yuck!). Even if you're not an okra fan, or perhaps don't have a trace of Southern blood in you, this is a friendly "first-okra" recipe that you can try. I typically go into okra recipes not expecting to enjoy them, but this curry had the perfect amount of spice and the okra had just the right amount of crunch to it, to make me wanting more! Pick yourself up some okra at the farmer's market and give it a go!

Tandoori Spiced Okra Curry (serves 2)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 large tomato (or 1 can diced tomatoes), pureed
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp ghee, separated
2-3 cups fresh okra, cleaned and de-stemmed
1 tbsp tandoori spice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tbsp corn starch
1 cup rice

Prepare veggies by thinly slicing onions and garlic, puree the tomato in the food processor, and remove the stems and clean the okra. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee over medium-high heat. Add onion, curry powder, and cayenne pepper, and saute for 5 minutes or until onions begin to brown. Add garlic, tomato puree, and 1/4 cup water, then simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes. Begin to boil water for rice and cook rice according to package directions.

Once rice and sauce are done cooking, prepare to cook the okra. Add 1 tbsp of ghee to a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the okra and tandoori spice, sauteing for 5 minutes (depending how crunchy you like your okra). Mix the milk and cornstarch in a separate bowl while okra cooks. Add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the sauce and simmer until thickened, 1-2 minutes. The sauce and okra should both be ready at this point, so serve over rice and enjoy!