Brazilian style Chicken and Okra - Frango com Quiabo

A few hours to go before the month-long football extravaganza comes to a close. The past few weeks have been charged with emotions alright. We savoured the sweet ecstasy of victory and sulked over the bitter aftertaste of defeat, and every football lover, delirious with passion and charged with a vicarious adrenaline rush, let mundane life take a backseat. But in a few hours it will all be over. The thought inspires a sort of melancholy, isn't it? It's like that day after the fiesta, when the bizarre cacophony of boundless frolicking comes to a screeching halt giving way to an almost unnerving silence. Nonetheless, all good things must come to an end.

And yes today, is also the day I bring you the final recipe of the World Cup Special Series.

Yes, Brazil. I am a fan of Brazil - the football, the country, the culture, the people, I love all things Brazilian.I love the song too...Braziiiiillll la la la la la la. Brazil's performance this World Cup broke millions of hearts including mine, but that doesn't make the love any less. So, today, though the much cherished dream of seeing Brazil play the finals did not come true, I cooked a Brazilian dish to savour while I watch the finals. I made Brazilian-style Chicken and Okra - Frango com Quiabo.

I have always wanted to cook meat with okra, but never got around to doing it. In fact, I always felt a little intimidated. Today I mustered courage and did it anyway. I was so happy with the result. The dish is a little tangy, has a peppery zing to it and the flavours are refreshingly fresh. Traditionally it is served with Pirão, a mush made with Cassava flour and broth or simply water, but it tasted just as good with plain rice. I think it'll go well with Quinoa too. 

The recipe is adapted from the book Brazil: A culinary Journey by Cherie Hamilton. And Cherie also mentions in the book that this dish was purportedly the favourite dish of Brazilian President Juscelino Kubitschek best remembered for founding the country's capital city of Brasilia.

Ingredients 

Boneless chicken - 1 kg 

Minced onion - 1 cup 

Juice of one lime 

Minced cilantro leaves - 1/2 cup 

Salt to taste 

Pepper to taste

Minced garlic - 1 tsp 

Finely chopped tomatoes (seeded) - 4 medium 

Okra/lady's finger - 500 grams (chopped)

Vegetable oil - 3 tbsp

Method 

Marinate the chicken with 1/3 of the minced onion, garlic paste, cilantro paste, lime juice, salt and pepper. For 10-15 minutes.

Heat oil in a skilled and toss in the chicken pieces. Fry the chicken until brown.

Now add the remaining minced onion and the tomatoes. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until chicken is almost done.

Add the okra, give it all a toss, cover and cook for another 15 minutes, without stirring.

Serve with plain rice or quinoa.