Japanese Okra with Bonito Flakes
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
2 mins
Total Time
7 mins
Japanese Okra with Bonito Flakes is the simplest way of eating okra in Japan. All you need to do is just boil, slice and serve with bonito flakes and soy sauce. Sliced okra is a bit crunchy and sticky. These are the appealing characteristics of okra.
Recipe Type:
Appetiser, Salad, Side
Cuisine:
Japanese
Keyword:
Japanese salad, okra, okra salad
Serves: 2
Ingredients (tbsp=15ml, cup=250ml)
- 150g (5.3oz) okra
- A pinch of salt
- Ice water in a bowl
Topping & Serving (note 2)
- 5g (0.2oz) bonito flakes
- Soy sauce
Instructions
-
Stab each okra on the side with a knife to make a tiny incision. This prevents the okra from exploding when boiled.
-
Bring water in a pot to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and okra pieces.
-
Boil for 2 minutes (note 1).
-
Transfer okra pieces to a bowl of ice water to cool them down. Drain well.
-
Remove the stem end of each okra and slice crosswise into 2mm (1/16") slices. They are a bit slimy.
-
Place okra slices in two serving bowls. Add bonito flakes on top.
-
Serve with soy sauce.
To Eat
-
Add a small amount of soy sauce. Mix well so that bonito flakes and okra combine well with soy sauce.
-
Great to eat with rice or by itself.
Recipe Notes
1. My okra was about 6cm (2⅜”) long. If okra is smaller or longer, you need less or more time to boil. The time to boil also depends on how crunchy you want them to be.
2. If you are vegetarian, omit bonito flakes and use another kind of salad dressing. Pouring just soy sauce on makes okra too bland.