Burmese grilled okra with tomato shrimp relish

I was craving Burmese cuisine, so I cooked a meal using three recipes from the same cookbook. I balanced garlic noodles with two vegetarian sides, and it was perfect for satisfying that craving.

I love okra and have learned not to deep fry it over the years. I now spray it with olive oil, sprinkle some salt and seasonings if needed, and broil it in the oven. They are fabulous with about 1/10th the amount of oil. Try it; you will be converted, too! In addition, no more deep-frying eggplant; you can use this same healthy method for that vegetable, too.

This salad is a pop of authentic flavours. I was surprised by how much this cuisine loves the flavour of dried shrimp, and this recipe does exemplify that taste. The roasted okra is perfect with the pungent and fishy relish, spicy, tart, and umami-flavored. I love this dish, but I will admit it is an acquired taste and may not be for everyone.

This recipe is from one of those cookbooks that I have missed on my shelf. One of the advantages of cataloguing my library on this site is that now I have visibility to some of these fabulous cookbooks. Burma Superstar is a fabulous restaurant, one that I have enjoyed many a meal at, and this recipe is no exception. The recipes are authentic, vibrant, and delicious—it is literally like bringing the restaurant home. This is a cookbook you need for Burmese cuisine.

For more recipes from this amazing cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the tomato shrimp relish:

5-6 tablespoons oil

1 1/2 cups white onions, finely minced

11/4 cup garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon shrimp paste

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

3-4 Thai red bird’s eye chillies, finely minced

4 tablespoons dried shrimp, ground to a fine powder

6 tomatoes, finely diced

A few dropsof fish sauce

Salt to taste; note that the shrimp paste is very highly salted.

For the okra:

1 lb okra, left whole with ends

Oil spray

Salt

Lime wedges

To make the tomato shrimp relish:

Heat the oil in a non-stick saucepan and sauté the onions on medium-low heat till lightly golden and soft, about 3 minutes. Do not let them turn a dark brown.

Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until cooked. Add the shrimp paste and sauté for 1 minute until aromatic, breaking up the paste. Mix well with the paprika, chilli powder, turmeric, Thai chillies, shrimp powder, and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes and salt and cook on medium heat until the tomatoes have broken down completely and you have a wonderful sauce, about 25-30 minutes. Continue to cook until the liquids have evaporated and the oils begin to come out of the paste and fry it. Stir it very frequently to avoid burning the paste at this stage.

Add the fish sauce and mix in. Take off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and spices. You are looking for pungent, salty and spicy. Perfect for the bland vegetables. You can make the relish ahead of time and store it in the fridge for 2-3 days.

As a note, you can use this relish as a dip for crudités, too.

To make the okra:

Wipe the okra down with a damp paper towel and arrange it in a single layer on a lined baking sheet. Spray with oil and sprinkle with salt. Broil in the oven until beginning to char, about 8-10 minutes. Alternatively, grill until cooked. Remove and cool. In addition, I am an advocate of not wasting food scraps. The stem of the okra plant is delicious and edible.

To serve:

There are multiple ways to serve this dish. I like to make the presentation as nice as possible, so I add the relish in the center, with the grilled okra arranged decoratively around it. Add wedges of lime and serve. Alternatively, you can toss the okra with the relish and serve with lime wedges on the side.