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Okra and Shrimp Stir-Fry with Chili Sauce

Name: Okra and Shrimp Stir-Fry with Chili Sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 250 gram okra; 20 medium-size shrimps; 1 teaspoon shrimp paste (Indonesian: terasi); 3 tablespoon oil; 1 red chili (fresno or bird-eye), thinly slice at an angle; 4 tablespoon water; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon sugar; 5 cloves garlic; 3-5 red chilies (fresno or bird-eye)

Last updated: Oct 9, 2023 — Published: Sep 10, 2013 — By: Anita — 4 comments

Okra and shrimps are the perfect pair in this stir-fry dish. The shrimp paste lends a bold flavor in this quick 5 minutes dish, and the short cooking time is great for hot summer days.

Ingredients for okra and shrimp stir-fry with chili sauce

okra
medium-sized shrimps; Please devein and remove the shells with the tails intact.
garlic
red chilies; I usually use fresno chilies, but you can use bird-eye chilies for extra kick.
shrimp paste (Indonesian: terasi, Malaysian: belacan)
salt
sugar
oil
water

Since this is a quick stir-fry dish, please take care of your mise en place. The cooking should take only 5 minutes, so please ensure you have finish the prep work before you start cooking.

Ingredients for okra and shrimp stir-fry with chili sauce: okra, shrimps (peeled and deveined), red chilies, garlic, shrimp paste (Indonesian: terasi), salt, sugar, and oil.

Shrimp paste and its substitute

Shrimp paste is a common ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisines. We call it terasi in Indonesia and belacan in Malaysia and Singapore. You can use Thai shrimp paste if that is easier for you.

You can substitute shrimp paste for fish sauce. For this recipe, please use a tablespoon of fish sauce to replace the teaspoon of shrimp paste.

I recommend toasting the shrimp paste first to bring out its flavor before using it. You can read more about how to do this from my Kangkung Tumis Terasi post. But if you really don’t have the time for it, it is okay to skip that step in this recipe.

Discard the top caps and the tips from each okra and cut them into 1-inch pieces at an angle. Grind garlic and red chilies into a paste.

How to prepare okra for the stir-fry

If the body of the okras is too fuzzy, you can de-fuzz by rubbing each pod gently with a vegetable brush under running water. You can skip the de-fuzzing step for young okras.

Cut off the stems/caps of the okras since they are tough and have no flavor. Optionally, you can also cut off their tips/tails, but it is also okay to leave them intact.

Cut the okras into 1-inch lengths. You can cut them straight or at an angle, which is how I usually cut them for this recipe.

(1) Fry the spice paste and terasi/shrimp paste until fragrant. (2) Add okra and water, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. (3) Add shrimp, chili, salt, and sugar. (4) Toss until the shrimps change color.

How to cook okra and shrimp stir-fry with chili sauce

Prep work: Cut the okra into 1-inch pieces. Devein and remove the shells (tails intact) from the shrimps. Toast the shrimp paste (optional step). Slice 1 red chili. Grind cloves of garlic and the remaining red chilies into a paste.
Fry the aromatics: Heat the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Sauté the chili paste and the toasted shrimp paste for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
Add okra: Add the okra and water to the pan. Stir to coat the okras with the sauce, and let it cook for 2 minutes.
Add shrimps: Add shrimps, sliced chilies, salt, and sugar. Toss to cook the shrimps and quickly turn off the heat once the shrimps have changed color.
Note: Stop cooking once the shrimps change color and curl into letter C’s. If the shrimps make letter O’s instead, you have overcooked them. Overcooked shrimps are tough and rubbery.
Serve: Transfer the dish to a serving platter, and ideally, serve the dish immediately with some steamed white rice.