Burmese okra shallot stir-fry

I love okra and Burmese food, so this is a natural dish for me to make.

The flavours are very mild, sweetish from the fried shallots, a touch of heat from the chilli, and a salty "umami" flavour from the fish sauce. In very traditional fashion, the dish starts by tempering the oil with turmeric, which adds a wonderful flavour and colour. The okra is delicate, and I really enjoyed this dish. It is also super simple to make and the perfect side to any Asian meal.

This is my favourite cookbook for Burmese cuisine. It contains wonderful, well-researched recipes from all across Myanmar, and I come back to it often. I also have most of Naomi Daguid’s other cookbooks and absolutely admire her work, writing, and all the travel and research she puts into every one of her books.

For more wonderful recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup thinly sliced shallots

1 tablespoon ginger paste

1 teaspoon green chilli, minced, or to taste

A few drops of fish sauce (omit for vegan and vegetarian versions)

Salt, to taste

1/2 lb okra, wiped clean and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds

1/4 cup cilantro, minced, to garnish and mix in

Heat the oil on a low flame in a wok or deep, wide frying pan and add the turmeric. Fry for 10 seconds, then add the shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the ginger, green chilli, and fish sauce, if using, and continue to fry for 1 minute until the ginger is cooked and no longer raw.

Add the okra and turn the heat up to medium. Mix the okra with the onions and cooked spices. Cover and cook until the okra is fried and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the spices so the okra does not fall apart and disintegrate.

Serve hot as a side dish with the cilantro, yes you use a lot, mixed in and as a garnish.