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1
Prep the Okra and Vegetables
10 Mins • Hands On
No heat — prep only
Trim the stem and tip ends of the okra and slice the pods into rounds about 2 cm thick. Drop them into a bowl of cold water with half the lime juice and leave for 5 minutes — the acid tames the okra's slipperiness. Meanwhile, dice the onion, bell pepper and tomato, mince the garlic, and rinse the rice and set it cooking in 480 ml of water with a pinch of salt.
Small, young okra pods are the tender ones — large pods turn woody and never soften properly.
Done when: The okra is sliced and soaking, the vegetables are chopped, and the rice is on the stove.
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2
Sauté the Okra
5 Mins • Hands On
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Drain the okra well, add it to the pot and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, turning often, until the edges just start to brown. Splash in half of the remaining lime juice, cook for 1 minute more, then lift the okra out with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Browning the okra first is the old trick against sliminess — do not skip it, and do not crowd the pan.
Done when: The okra edges are lightly browned and the pods look glossy, not slimy.
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3
Build the Sofrito
10 Mins • Hands On
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
In the same pot, cook the onion and bell pepper for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent, then stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Add the diced tomato and the tomato sauce and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the mixture thickens into a rich, jammy sofrito. Season with the salt and pepper and tuck in the bay leaf.
Let the tomato cook down properly — a watery sofrito makes a watery stew.
Done when: The onion is soft, the tomato has melted into a thick, brick-red base, and the pot smells warm and savoury.
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4
Simmer the Stew
20 Mins • Hands On
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Return the okra to the pot, pour in the water and stir gently. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes until the okra is completely tender and the sauce has thickened around it. Stir once or twice, gently, so the okra keeps its shape. Taste and adjust the salt.
Stir gently and rarely — vigorous stirring breaks the okra and turns the stew gluey.
Done when: The okra is tender all the way through, the sauce coats a spoon, and the stew smells of tomato, cumin and lime.
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5
Finish with Lime and Serve
5 Mins • Hands On
Serve hot
Take the pot off the heat, fish out the bay leaf, and stir in the remaining lime juice. Fluff the rice, spoon the quimbombo over it in wide bowls, and ladle over plenty of sauce.
The lime goes in at the very end — cooked lime juice turns bitter, but fresh lime juice at the end lifts the whole stew.
Done when: The bay leaf is out, the lime is stirred in, and the stew is served hot over fluffy rice.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Spoon the quimbombo over white rice in wide bowls, ladle over plenty of sauce, and serve with fried plantains on the side.
Cuba
3h
