Egyptian Summer Vegetable Tagen with Peak-Harvest Tomatoes, Okra and Garlic

Soak the trimmed okra in cold water with the vinegar for 15 minutes, then drain and pat completely dry. This rinses away the surface sap that makes okra slippery, and the drying step is what keeps it firm.

Serves 5

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) fresh small okra, stems trimmed to a cone (do not cut into the pod)
• 2 tbsp white vinegar, for soaking the okra
• 2 1/2 lb (1.1 kg) ripe summer tomatoes, halved and grated on a box grater, skins discarded
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 medium zucchini, cut into thick half-moons
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 10 cloves garlic, finely minced, divided
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil, divided
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp Aleppo or mild chili flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Soak the trimmed okra in cold water with the vinegar for 15 minutes, then drain and pat completely dry. This rinses away the surface sap that makes okra slippery, and the drying step is what keeps it firm.
2. Heat the oven to 400F (200C). Toss the eggplant cubes with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and a good pinch of salt, spread on a sheet pan, and roast until browned at the edges, about 20 minutes.
3. While the eggplant roasts, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a wide oven-safe pot or clay tagen over medium heat. Cook the onion with a pinch of salt until soft and lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add two-thirds of the garlic along with the coriander, cumin, and chili flakes, and stir until intensely fragrant, about 45 seconds.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until it darkens, then pour in the grated tomatoes. Simmer briskly, uncovered, until the sauce thickens and the raw edge cooks off, 12 to 15 minutes.
6. Fold in the okra, zucchini, roasted eggplant, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. The vegetables should be about three-quarters submerged; add a splash of water if the pan looks dry.
7. Cover and transfer to the oven. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until the okra is tender and the sauce has reduced around the vegetables.
8. Make the ta'leya finish: warm a small skillet with a slick of oil, add the reserved garlic and a pinch of ground coriander, and fry just until pale gold, then pour it sizzling over the tagen.
9. Finish with the lemon juice and cilantro, taste for salt, and let the pot rest 10 minutes before serving with rice or warm flatbread.
10. A tagen is both the vessel and the dish in Egypt — a squat earthenware pot that goes straight from oven to table, its walls holding heat long enough that the stew keeps murmuring after it arrives. The garlic-and-coriander sizzle poured over at the end, called ta'leya, is the signature of Egyptian home cooking and the step most worth not skipping. Late summer is when this dish makes the most sense: okra and tomatoes peak in the same weeks along the Nile Delta, and the sauce needs no help from anything out of a can.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 285 kcal
• Protein: 8g
• Fat: 13g
• Carbohydrates: 39g
• Fiber: 11g
• Sugar: 17g
• Sodium: 740mg