Wok-Fried Okra with Garlic, Chili and Sichuan Peppercorn
A savory and satisfying dish of stir-fried okra.
Equipment
- Wok (or a combination of a large saute pan and a pot for boiling the okra)
Ingredients
- 12 oz okra (about 5 cups)
- 4 oz red bell pepper (half of a large pepper)
- 8-10 whole dried heaven facing chili/Tianjin chilies (2-3 Tbsp after cutting)
- 1/2 tsp sichuan peppercorn, green or red
- 1 inch piece of peeled ginger
- 6 large cloves of garlic
- 3 Tbsp neutral flavored cooking oil (canola, vegetable, corn....etc)
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
- 1/4 tsp MSG
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Wash the okra, remove any long stems if present, and cut the okra in half lengthwise. Set aside.
- Remove any seeds and cut the half bell pepper into roughly 1 inch pieces.
- Slice the ginger into 1/8 inch slices.
- Smash the garlic cloves with the side of the knife and roughly chop. Set the ginger and garlic aside together.
- Cut the dried peppers into 1/3 inch pieces. Discard stems but keep the seeds if you like it spicy. You should have about 2-3 of chilies after cutting.
- Add 1/2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns to the cut chilies and set these aside.
- In the wok (or in a separate pot if you are stir-frying in a saute pan), bring 6-8 cups of water to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Add the okra to the boiling water and cook for about 1-2 minutes. Until the okra is just starting to get tender.
- Use a strainer or colander to drain the okra. Keep hot okra aside while you empty and rinse out the wok.
- Place the wok (or the saute pan) back on the stove and heat 3 Tbsp of neutral oil over high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the dry chilies and Sichuan peppercorns to the wok. Cook for 2-3 seconds, until the peppers start to darken in color but are not burnt
- Before the peppers burn, immediately add the garlic, ginger and red ball pepper to the wok and stir fry over high heat for about 15-30 seconds. Keep an eye on the dried chilies to make sure they don't burn.
- Add the cooked okra back into the wok and stir fry for about 20 seconds.
- Season the okra with the sugar, salt, msg, and chicken bouillon powder. Stir fry for another 20 or 30 seconds.
- Taste the okra and adjust the seasoning if necessary. It should be savory, and well seasoned.
- Serve with steamed white rice alongside other dishes if you like.
