← Nouns Cooking · Malaysian & Singaporean

Ingredients

• 300 g Okra, tops trimmed, cut on the diagonal
• 1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste), toasted
• 2 tbsp Dried shrimp, soaked for 10 minutes, drained
• 4 Shallot, peeled
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 3 Red chilli, chopped
• 3 tbsp Vegetable oil
• ½ tsp Sugar
• 1 pinch Salt

Method

1. Pound or blend the belacan, dried shrimp, shallots, garlic and chillies into a coarse paste.
2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and fry the paste for 3–4 min until fragrant and slightly darker.
3. Turn the heat to high, add the okra and toss for 2–3 min, adding a splash of water if it sticks, until bright green and just tender.
4. Season with the sugar and a little salt and serve straight away with rice.

Tips

• Wash and dry the okra whole before cutting, and cook it fast and hot; that keeps the sliminess down.
• The same paste is wonderful with kangkung, long beans or sweet potato leaves.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Malaysian Chinese Kitchen Noob Cook