Okra with Ginger Soy Sauce is a fast, tasty 3-ingredient aspect dish that pairs nicely with any Japanese or Asian meals! You too can use numerous sorts of greens like broccoli or asparagus as a substitute of blanched okra.
My readers throughout the globe voiced that they typically battle to make straightforward aspect dishes which are fast to make and could be served alongside Japanese meals. In case you are feeling the identical method, don’t surrender. I’ve shared some scrumptious options in this roundup, and I’ve a brand new one for you!
At the moment’s recipe—Okra with Ginger Soy Sauce (オクラの生姜醤油和え)—requires solely three elements. I used okra however you should utilize no matter veggies you might have available. Not solely it’s versatile and really easy to tug off, however the recipe additionally companions nicely with nearly any principal you placed on the desk. You’ll love the simplicity and the flavors it delivers.
What’s Okra with Ginger Soy Sauce
Merely put, this dish is fabricated from blanched okra dressed with ginger-flavored soy sauce. In Japanese, we name it okra no shoga-joyu ae (生姜醤油和え).
Ginger soy sauce or shoga-joyu (生姜醤油) is a staple flavoring utilized in on a regular basis Japanese cooking. It’s principally a easy combination of soy sauce with finely grated ginger bits and juice. We use it as a dipping sauce or as a dressing for cooked or raw elements. The zesty warmth from the ginger elevates the saltiness and umami of soy sauce, making it a pleasing addition to greens (or proteins).
Fast Overview of This Dish
- Taste: Ginger and soy sauce each have sturdy flavors, so that they pair amazingly nicely with out overwhelming one another. Should you love the spicy kick from the ginger, you possibly can positively add extra, however I normally use 1/4 teaspoon of grated ginger for a tablespoon of soy sauce.
- Texture: The feel of the dish depends on the vegetable you resolve to make use of. Right here, I used okra as they’re already in season in California. Slimy meals like okra and natto are good for you, so I attempt to incorporate extra into our household’s food plan. This ginger soy sauce goes nicely with many sorts of veggies and proteins. You’ll discover a few of my favorites under.
- Time: You can also make the sauce actually in lower than a minute! The remaining is as much as the kind of vegetable you utilize. You can use raw contemporary veggies, or a veggie that wants a fast blanch or stir-fry earlier than dressing it with the sauce.
The Elements You’ll Want
- Okra or different ingredient (please learn extra under)
- Soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce if wanted)
- Ginger
That’s it. It’s critically fast and straightforward!
The way to Make Okra with Ginger Soy Sauce
- Put together the okra (see the three steps under).
- Grate the ginger and blend it with soy sauce.
- Toss the okra with ginger soy sauce collectively.
3 Cooking Steps to Put together the Okra
You would possibly discover a few of these steps (the primary two) pointless, however I’d wish to share how the Japanese sometimes put together the okra (even simply to your info). We imagine these small prepping steps will enhance the flavour and texture of the meals and cut back waste.
Step 1: Take away the calyx (powerful half).
Don’t reduce off all the powerful finish of the okra. As soon as the okra is cooked (blanched), the highest ends are completely edible! All we have to do is to take away the powerful calyx.
Step 2: Salt the okra (2%) and rub them.
Sprinkle salt over the washed okra (roughly 2% salt: 2 g salt for 100 g okra). Then roll them on the reducing board (or a tray) along with your palms. The rubbing movement will take away the high-quality hairs on the okra and enhance the feel.
The salt additionally helps deliver out the brightness of the inexperienced okra coloration.
Step 3: Blanch for 2-3 minutes.
Blanch the okra for 2-3 minutes. Modify the cooking time primarily based on the thickness of the okra: 1-2 minutes for small ones and 3-4 minutes for big ones. Toss the blanched okra with ginger soy sauce whereas they’re sizzling/heat in order that they’ll take in extra taste.
Should you love okra, you must also take a look at my Okra Ohitashi (Japanese Okra Salad) recipe!
The way to Grate Ginger
Grating ginger is usually a tedious process, which is why I like to make use of my Kyocera Superior Grater that I’ve owned for over a decade and love! It makes grating a lot simpler and the raised central plate permits the ginger juice to collect. It’s the finest option to grate ginger, in my view, and you will get it on Amazon for $30.
No Okra? Right here Are Different Elements You Can Use
As a result of the ginger soy sauce has a salty, daring style with a spicy kick, I feel it’s finest to decide on greens which have some thick, sturdy texture, or ones which have a robust taste to steadiness out the sauce. Basically, I don’t advocate utilizing delicate leafy salad varieties of greens for this recipe.
Greens
Listed here are some greens that I like to recommend and have personally tried:
- Asparagus (blanched* or stir-fried**)
- Bean sprouts (blanched)
- Bok choy (blanched or stir-fried)
- Broccoli (blanched, stir-fried, or steamed)
- Cabbage (blanched, stir-fried, or steamed)
- Eggplant (grilled)
- Inexperienced beans (blanched, stir-fried, or steamed)
- Kale (blanched or stir-fried)
- Komatsuna (blanched or stir-fried)
- Snap peas (blanched or stir-fried)
- Spinach (blanched or stir-fried)
- Shishito (grilled)
* Blanch in salted water
** Stir-fry with a bit of little bit of cooking oil
Non-Veggies
Different non-vegetable elements that I like to recommend and have personally tried:
- Hen (boiled or steamed)
- Deep-fried tofu (atsuage or aburaage) (grilled)
- Fish (salmon, troute, cod, tilapia, catfish) (steamed)
- Mushrooms (shiitake, enoki, shimeji, king oyster, and so forth) (sauteed)
- Shirasu (tiny anchovies) (blanched)
- Silken tofu (chilled or sizzling)
- Squid (boiled or grilled)
What to Serve with This Dish
For the Ginger Soy Sauce (Shoga-joyu)
Stop your display screen from going darkish
To Make the Ginger Soy Sauce
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Peel the ginger and grate it (I like utilizing my ceramic grater) and measure ½ tsp ginger grated, with juice.
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In a big bowl, mix 2 Tbsp soy sauce and the grated ginger. Style it and add extra grated ginger or ginger juice (which has a milder style than the ginger bits) if desired. Put aside.
To Costume the Okra
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Lower the okra diagonally in half or thirds relying on their size. They need to be bite-sized items. Switch the okra to the bowl with the ginger soy sauce.
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Costume the okra with the sauce. You’ll be able to serve them chilled or at room temperature. Serve the okra on particular person plates.
Energy: 27 kcal · Carbohydrates: 5 g · Protein: 2 g · Fats: 1 g · Saturated Fats: 1 g · Polyunsaturated Fats: 1 g · Monounsaturated Fats: 1 g · Sodium: 340 mg · Potassium: 192 mg · Fiber: 2 g · Sugar: 1 g · Vitamin A: 457 IU · Vitamin C: 15 mg · Calcium: 52 mg · Iron: 1 mg
Editor’s Word: This put up was initially revealed on March 14, 2022. It was republished with extra useful info on July 28, 2024.
