This Chinese-style Steamed Okra recipe has crunchy okra in a savory garlic sauce. It is super easy to make. All you do is combine everything in a steaming dish and steam for 5 minutes.
Can't get enough of steamed dishes? Try my Steamed Mushrooms next!
๐ง About This Recipe
This steamed okra recipe is equally good for people who love okra and people who are new to it. It is easy to make and showcases many of the more delicious qualities of the vegetable. It comes out tender but each piece still has a little crunch.
Okra tends to be quite slimy when cooked; however, steaming is one of the methods where I find it to be the least slimy. A trick I learned online is to slice the okra lengthwise. This will release less slime into the dish because fewer of the pods/seeds will be destroyed.
That said, the slime is not all bad in this preparation. It actually works as a natural thickening agent for the sauce. Embrace the slime!
๐ง Ingredients
- Okra: Try to buy okra that is younger; the flesh will be more tender. You can tell if it is young by breaking a small piece of the tip. If it breaks easily, then it is young. If it does not break easily, it means the flesh is more fibrous and not very good.
- Seasonings: Soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, and a little bit of sugar to bring out the veggie's natural sweetness.
- Garlic and ginger: Since the steaming time is very quick you want to mince or grate these as fine as possible so they release the most amount of flavor.
- Oil: In Chinese cooking, when we steam or boil vegetables, we add a little bit of oil to improve the texture of the final dish.
๐ Using Frozen Okra
I prefer using fresh okra since it has a way better texture, but frozen okra can work in a pinch. Make sure it is fully defrosted, and dry it thoroughly with paper towels. Frozen okra releases a lot of moisture when it thaws.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: Trim the tops and bottoms of the okras and slice them into halves lengthwise. It is okay if some of the seeds are cut through. Transfer to a large bowl.
STEP 2: In a small bowl, combine the oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, ginger, Chinese cooking wine, and sugar. Add the sauce mixture to the bowl of sliced okra and mix well.
STEP 3: Transfer the sliced okra to a steaming dish. Steam on high heat for 5 minutes until the okra is tender but still a little bit crunchy. Be careful not to overcook them. Give the okra a good stir to coat each piece in sauce, then serve immediately.
๐ Recipe
Steamed Okra With Savory Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh okra (see notes for frozen)
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons garlic (minced; about 5 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine
- ยผ teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Trim the tops and bottoms of the okras and slice them into halves lengthwise. It is okay if some of the seeds are cut through. Transfer to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, combine the oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, Chinese cooking wine, and sugar. Add the sauce mixture to the bowl of sliced okra and mix well.
- Transfer the sliced okra to a steaming dish. Steam on high heat for 5 minutes until the okra is tender but still a little bit crunchy. Be careful not to overcook them. Give the okra a good stir to coat each piece in sauce, then serve immediately.
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