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Okra and Shrimp Stir-Fry with Chili Sauce
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.
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.
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.
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.
Okra and Shrimp Stir-Fry with Chili Sauce
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
- Grind into spice paste
- 5 cloves garlic
- 3-5 red chilies (fresno or bird-eye)
Instructions
- 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.
Comments
Kate Seng says:
This recipe is a winner. The shrimp are perfectly cooked, and the chili sauce gives it that extra kick. A new favorite in our house
Robert Miller says:
Wow, what an incredible recipe! This Okra and Shrimp Stir-Fry with Chili Sauce is a game-changer in my kitchen. The combination of the tender-crisp okra and succulent shrimp, all coated in a flavorful chili sauce, creates a burst of amazing flavors with every bite.
Matt Doe says:
How many servings does this make?
Anita says:
Hi Matt, the recipe yields 4 servings.
Charmaine says:
Hi Anita. Thanks for sharing the recipes for your amazing dishes! I just made sop buntut following your recipe and it is perfect! Just wanted to share - in place of belacan, anchovy paste works quite well to give that umami flavor. Discovered this when I made nasi lemak in Italy and forgot to bring some belacan. 😄
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