Okra Soup

Okra soup, which is made in Central Anatolian, is an important dish as a savoury appetizer in traditional menus in Konya. In Konya’s pilaff (wedding or invitation dinners) and traditional cuisine it is served after dessert as it has a sour taste and by this way it works up the appetite for the second order food. Dried small okras and meat cubes are used while cooking.

Recipe for Okra Soup (Servings: more than 4 people / Prep. & Cook total: 1 hour)

Ingredients: 3 cups water to boil okras, half cup dried okras, half a lemon sliced, half cup diced tail fat, a cup diced mutton, a tablespoon butter, two chopped onions, a tablespoon tomato sauce (if it is summer 3 tomatoes can be preferred), 5 cups of broth or water, a dessertspoon salt, 2 tablespoon lemon juice.

How to cook: In order to get rid of the pilous part of the okras wash them within a part of cloth or in a sieve. Put the sliced lemons into the water and okras and boil them together (by this way okras won’t stretch) for a short while. Take out the half-boiled okras from the ropes. Put the tail fat and mutton into the saucepan. Stir from time to time and fry them. Add the butter and the chopped onions and fry them until the onions are brown. Add the tomato sauce (or tomatoes if you preferred) and stir. Add 5 cups of broth or water. Boil them about 30 minutes until the meat is well-done. Meanwhile you can add the salt. Put the half-boiled okras and lemon juice. When it starts boiling again go on with low heat. Boil about 20-30 minutes until the okras are well-done.