Okra curry & chickpea pancakes

I received a bag of veggies from my friend, Maggie. There were tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, squash, green beans, and okra. I ate my way through most of it this weekend, and found myself staring at the only thing left tonight, okra.

I thought about making pickled okra, one of my favorites. But I decided to make okra curry with chickpea pancakes for dinner. I promise it's easier to make than it sounds. I use the chickpea pancake to hold the curried veggies along with a drizzle of herbed yogurt.

Okra Curry
Original recipe
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 medium onion
1 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves
15-20 okra, sliced
1 tomato, diced
juice from 1 lemon wedge
cilantro to taste

Heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onion and spices, and cook until the onion is translucent. Add garlic, stir, then add the okra. Let the okra cook for 10-15 minutes, then add the tomatoes and lemon. Garnish with cilantro.

The slime that oozes from okra is one of the reasons its so good for you. It's great for your digestive system and high in vitamin C.

Chickpea pancakes
Recipe by Bauman College
2 servings,  6-8 pancakes
1 c garbanzo bean flour
1 c water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Mix all the ingredients together, no more than five minutes. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil over low-to-medium heat, pour a small amount of the pancake mixture into the pan, and cook for about 5 minutes. Or until the pancake looks set and you can remove it easily with a spatula.

Garbanzo flour is higher in protein than regular flour and is gluten free. These pancakes are great for those with blood sugar issues that should steer clear of refined flours.