Sambal Okra

Sambal Okra

Serves 2 - 3
​Some of my most favorite okra recipes are in fact the simplest, and this one is on top of the list. Made with garlic, shallots, okra and tomatoes and flavored with spicy, tangy Sambal Belacan, my sambal okra recipe is simply off the charts. If you’ve never used Sambal Belacan before, now is the time. You can either make this aromatic Malay condiment at home (especially if you are vegetarian - recipe below) or simply buy a jar for just a couple of dollars at your Asian Grocery Store. Trust me, it’s the best investment you’ll ever make.
When picking okra, make sure the pods are short, young and tender. Look for pods that are 2-3 inches long as larger pods are too mature, often stringy and not suitable for use. If the tail end of the pod doesn't snap easily, or if it is too tough and difficult to cut with a sharp knife, it is probably too mature. ​
The recipe below easily serves 2-3 as a side dish, but if you are anything like me and love okra to the core, you can easily scarf it all down with a bowl of Jasmine rice - enjoy!

Sambal Okra Recipe video

Ingredients
​

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
10 -12 small shallots, peeled or 1 large red onion, cut into large cubes
250g tender okra, ends trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch wide pieces diagonally
1/2 tablespoon sugar ​
2 tablespoons sambal belacan (bottled or homemade)
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 large tomato, chopped into large cubes
1/4 cup water
​Ingredients for Sambal Belacan
3 large red chili peppers
2-3 red chili padi (bird’s eye chiles) ​
1 tablespoon Belacan (fermented shrimp paste) - replace with miso for vegetarian version and skip step 2
1 large garlic clove
a pinch sea-salt
1.5 teaspoons sugar
juice of 1 large lime ​

Recipe
​

Making Okra

1Rinse and dry okra; trim and discard ends. Chop okra diagonally into 1/2” thick pieces, set aside.

2On medium flame, heat coconut oil in wok. Add garlic, and fry until fragrant. Next, add shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly translucent.

3Add chopped okra, and stir-fry for 5-6 minutes until the edges are lightly brown and the fruit slightly soft. Stir-frying will also substantially reduce the sliminess in the fruit.

4Sprinkle sugar, and add sambal followed by soy sauce - stir well until fragrant. Lower heat in case sambal starts to burn at the bottom.

5Add chopped tomatoes, stir and let them caramelize for 1-2 minutes on medium flame, finally adding water.

6Reduce the water for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve hot with Jasmine rice or as a side with your favorite meat dish.

Making Sambal Belacan

1Rinse, deseed, then thinly slice large red chili peppers. Transfer into a mortar. Thinly slice red chili padi - place in the mortar.

2In a heavy base wok or frying pan, dry-roast belacan for a few minutes until fragrant or less pungent (this stuff smells pretty fowl but is pure umami once you cook it). Mince the belacan with the back of a spatula crushing and stirring it continually for a few minutes, until dry.

3Transfer toasted belacan into the mortar along with garlic, sea-salt, and sugar.

4Pound away using a pestle until very fine or slightly coarse (some people prefer it coarser than others).

5Adjust salt and sugar as per taste. Squeeze in fresh lime juice, stir well and refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

​Note: A mini-food processor also works well if you don’t have a mortar and pestle, or are simply too lazy to use one, like me 😉.
For more delicious recipes, check out our upcoming hands-on cooking classes in Downtown Singapore.
​Click here for more details.