Okra with Sambal

Okra with Sambal 

A very big hello to you!

I have not been blogging in the past 10 days or so. It has certainly been hectic since I arrived in Malaysia. I was too busy having fun meeting up with family and friends. I even managed to squeeze in an indoor rock climbing session and a session of paddling with my dragonboat team mates. If you are wondering what dragonboating is, have a read of this comprehensive article written by friend and coach Lee Shih.

As it is Monday, it is time for - yes, you guessed it - another Meatless Monday recipe!

Since I am currently in Malaysia, what better time than to introduce a famous and versatile Malaysian condiment - Sambal. Essentially, a chilli paste, Sambal can be used as a condiment for various dishes, these include but are not limited to a condiment for noodles such as Prawn Mee, Curry Mee, simple Fried Noodles, and even as an inclusion for stir-fried vegetables. However, Sambal is most famously used as a condiment in the de-facto Malaysian National dish, Nasi Lemak (stay tuned for a Nasi Lemak post in the near future).

For Meatless Monday, I decided to pair my Sambal together with boiled Okra. I have eaten this dish in a restaurant before and I think it is a nice change from the usual stir fried okra with Sambal. I would advise to make the Sambal in a big batch and then store it away for future use. 

Okra with Sambal

Sambal

Recipe for Sambal

Prep Time 20minutes / Cooking Time 30 Minutes / Yields 10 portions

10 Shallots (peeled)

6 cloves of Garlic (peeled)

3 Tbsp Chilli Paste (made from boiled and blended dried chillies. More details here)

200ml Water

1 Tbsp Sugar

3/4 Tbsp Salt

3 Tbsp Oil

Method

1. Blend Shallots and Garlic together to form a fine paste. 

2. Heat oil in a wok over high heat. Put in the Shallots and Garlic paste and 3 Tbsp of Chilli Paste. Stir fry this paste over high heat for a minute then add in 3/4 of the Water. Fry for approximately 5 minutes. 

3. Lower the heat to medium and simmer the Sambal for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and monitoring that it does not dry up. After simmering for 15 minutes, add in the remainder of the Water and season with Salt and Sugar. Simmer for a further 10 minutes and then remove from heat completely.

For the Okra

12 pieces of Okra 

Water (for Boiling)

Method

1. Place the Okra in a pot of boiling water and boil for approximately 6 minutes. Take care not to over cook the Okra. Once boiled, dish out and drain.

2. Arrange Okra on a plate and spoon the Sambal over. Serve with steamed white rice.