Super savory and ridiculously easy to make, this Asian style okra is a treat for your tastebuds.
Tender okra is cooked and then stir fried in a delicious umami-packed sauce that’s slightly spicy.
It comes together in minutes with just a few simple ingredients, and is sure to become your next favorite Asian side.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
You’ll need just a few simple ingredients to make the Asian style okra.
- Okras: 300 grams
- Water: 2-3 cups
- Cooking oil: 1 tablespoon + 1 tbsp
- Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
- Salt: ¼ tsp
- Stock cube (powdered): 1 tbsp
- Sugar: ½ tsp
- Oyster sauce: ½ tbsp
- Corn starch: 1 tbsp
- Water: ¼ cup
- Garlic (minced): 2 tbsp
- Chili flakes: 1 tbsp
- Sesame seeds: 2 tsp
How to Make the Asian Style Okra
Got everything ready? Here’s what you’ll need to do next to make the Asian style okra.
Wash and clean the okras properly in water.
Next, bring water to a boil and add a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of cooking oil and mix. Add in the okras to this water. Let them boil for 6-7 minutes or until the okras turn soft. The cooking time for the okras will depend on the size and age of the okras. Small and young okras would take less time than the big and aged ones.
Once the okras are cooked, drain the water and let them come to room temperature.
Then, trim away the heads and the tails of the okras. Keep them aside once done.
Take a small bowl and add the soy sauce, salt, powdered stock cube, sugar, oyster sauce, corn starch, and water. Give them a good mix.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the minced garlic, sesame seeds, and chili flakes. Saute and stir for 30-40 seconds or until the raw aroma of the garlic disappears.
Next, add in the prepared soy sauce mixture and bring it to a boil.
Mix and adjust seasoning if required. Your sauce is ready.
Plate the okras and pour the sauce over them. Enjoy as a side to your meals.
Frequently Asked Questions
In addition to all the spices and seasonings, you can also add some other veggies of your choice to the stir fried okra dish.
Bok choy, broccoli, snap peas, corn, mushrooms and bell peppers are all great choices, and their flavors work wonderfully with the okra too. 
If you have any leftovers, you can refrigerate them for up to 2 days in a clean airtight container.
Then, you can reheat them in a pan over medium heat, or in the microwave on high. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Asian Style Okra
Making this dish can be super easy, but you might want to take note of these little tips and tricks too.
- If you want the okra to have a bit of a bite and crunchy texture as opposed to the soft and tender texture, you can choose to skip the boiling process and simply chop up the washed okra into equal sized pieces and then stir fry them until they soften a bit.
- If you’re doing this, I would recommend chopping the okra diagonally to make them look more appealing. And of course, if you want to quicken the cooking time, you can chop the okra into smaller pieces.
- To get the perfect Asian flavor, I would recommend using sesame oil instead of your regular cooking oil.
- Want to make this dish gluten free? Swap the soy sauce for some tamari.
- To add more heat to the Asian style okra, you can also add some chopped green or red chillies into the mix.
- Don’t have the stock cube that the recipe calls for? Use some mushroom powder instead.
- Crushed sichuan peppercorns make for another wonderful addition to this dish.
- To add some more texture to the dish, you can also choose to top it with some crunchy fried scallions.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This flavor-packed Asian style okra can be enjoyed as a side dish with some fried rice or noodles.
In fact, the okra is so flavorful, you can also team it up with some steamed rice to take it to the next level.
Another great idea is to have it as a salad with any of your favorite Asian mains.
Enjoyed this easy okra recipe? Inspired to try some more fun ways to experiment with okra? Here are a few good recipes to try out.
📖 Recipe
Asian Style Okra
Ingredients
- 300 grams Okras
- 2-3 cups Water
- 2 tablespoon Cooking oil
- 1 tablespoon Soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Stock cube, powdered
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- ½ tablespoon Oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Corn starch
- ¼ cup Water
- 2 tbsps Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Chili flakes
- 2 tsps Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Wash and clean the okras properly in water.
- Next, bring water to a boil and add a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of cooking oil and mix. Add in the okras to this water. Let them boil for 6-7 minutes or until the okras turn soft. The cooking time for the okras will depend on the size and age of the okras. Small and young okras would take less time than the big and aged ones.
- Once the okras are cooked, drain the water and let them come to room temperature.
- Then, trim away the heads and the tails of the okras. Keep them aside once done.
- Take a small bowl and add the soy sauce, salt, powdered stock cube, sugar, oyster sauce, corn starch, and water. Give them a good mix.
- Heat oil in a pan. Add the minced garlic, sesame seeds, and chili flakes. Saute and stir for 30-40 seconds or until the raw aroma of the garlic disappears.
- Next, add in the prepared soy sauce mixture and bring it to a boil.
- Mix and adjust seasoning if required. Your sauce is ready.
- Plate the okras and pour the sauce over them. Enjoy as a side to your meals.
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