Sichuan-Flavored Okra Salad Delight

A Guide to Creating Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad

Recipe by Annie Tibber

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

271

kcal

This recipe for Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad offers a delightful Chinese-style cold dish that’s both simple to prepare and incredibly flavorful. Give this innovative approach to okra a try

Ingredients

• 20 ounces of fresh okra

• Twelve (12) tablespoons of vegetable oil

• 6 scallions, cut into 2-inch/5cm lengths

• 10 cloves of minced garlic

• 2 star anise pods

• 2 small cinnamon sticks

• A pair of tablespoons of Sichuan peppercorns

• A pair of tablespoons of toasted sesame seeds

• 2 tablespoons of Sichuan chili flakes

• 1 teaspoon of salt

• 2 tablespoons of sesame paste

• A trio of tablespoons of light soy sauce

• 3 teaspoons of sugar

• 4 tablespoons of hot water

Directions

• Begin by heating a pot of water until it reaches a vigorous boil. Add the fresh okra and let it boil for exactly 2 minutes. While the okra is boiling, get ready to prepare an ice bath.
• Using a strainer or slotted spoon, carefully transfer the boiled okra into the ice bath. You’ll want the okra to retain its bright jewel green color, so let it sit in the ice bath as you move on to preparing the sauce.
• In a small saucepan, combine the vegetable oil, scallions, minced garlic, star anise, small cinnamon sticks, and Sichuan peppercorns. Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and allow it to cook for approximately 10 minutes. The goal is to have the scallions fully wilted and the garlic turn a light golden color.
• Meanwhile, take a small heatproof bowl and add the toasted sesame seeds, Sichuan chili flakes, and salt to it.
• Once the oil has infused with the flavors, strain it into the bowl containing the sesame seeds and chili flakes. Stir thoroughly. Next, incorporate the sesame paste, light soy sauce, sugar, and hot water into the mixture.Verify that all the ingredients are properly blended.
• Arrange the blanched okra beautifully in a serving bowl and generously pour the sauce over the top. Your Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad is ready to be served! Enjoy!
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This delectable Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad draws its inspiration from a restaurant dish we discovered at Sichuan Mountain House in Manhattan. While Chinese cuisine typically isn’t associated with okra, this dish beautifully highlights the delicate flavor and distinctive texture of this vegetable.

The sauce we’ve crafted bears resemblance to the Szechuan Chicken sauce. It features a blend of sesame powder, sesame seeds, chili flakes, light soy sauce, and sugar, complemented by oil infused with scallions, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan pepper. The result is a tantalizing combination of spiciness, saltiness, and sheer deliciousness. Moreover, this dish can be prepared as a vegetarian or vegan option, making it a delightful alternative to Kou Shui Ji!

We have a deep fondness for cooking with okra. We’ve even cultivated it in our garden, marveling at the exquisite and delicate flowers it produces before yielding its fruit. Typically, okra is fried (or in my case, stir-fried) or stewed. However, in this recipe, we take a different approach by blanching the okra for two minutes, preserving its vibrant green hue. The natural creaminess of okra also plays a role, thickening the sauce and embracing the vegetables.

This Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad recipe offers a refreshing and easy-to-prepare cold Chinese dish. Discover a new and delightful way to enjoy okra with this recipe!