Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad

This spicy Sichuan Okra Salad was inspired by a restaurant dish we tried at Sichuan Mountain House in Manhattan. You don’t necessarily think of okra when you think of Chinese cuisine, but this dish puts okra’s delicate flavor and unique texture on full display!

Recipe Inspiration

This past summer, Kaitlin and Sarah were in Manhattan’s Chinatown shopping for props (dishes, teacups, serving items) for our cookbook photo shoots.

After paying a visit to every restaurant supply store on the Bowery, they stopped at Sichuan Mountain House for lunch. The restaurant is an old favorite of Sarah’s and Justin’s, and it was their first time there in 2 years.

The restaurant did not disappoint. They came back excited about a new dish they’d tried—an okra salad (or cold dish – 凉菜/liángcài) with a spicy sauce. We decided we had to come up with our own version!

Sichuan Spicy Okra Salad — Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad 29

The sauce or dressing we came up with is similar to our Droolworthy Sichuan Chicken (口水鸡 – kǒushuǐ jī) sauce. It has a sesame paste base, sesame seeds, chili flakes, light soy sauce, and sugar, as well as an oil infused with scallions, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorn.

It’s spicy, savory, and very delicious. It also happens to be vegan and vegetarian, so you could also look at it as a tasty alternative to Kou Shui Ji!

Cooking With Okra

We love cooking with okra. We’ve grown it in our garden, and they produce the most beautiful and delicate flowers before bearing their fruits.

Okra is often fried (or in my case, stir-fried) or stewed. In this recipe, it is simply blanched. Boiling the okra for two minutes cooks it through while locking in its vibrant green color.

Okra’s signature gooeyness also factors into this recipe, as the okra thickens the sauce and makes it cling to the vegetables.

While Sarah didn’t used to be a fan of okra, I think this recipe has fully converted her!

On to the recipe!

Recipe Instructions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the okra, and boil for 2 minutes. While the okra is boiling, prepare an ice bath.

Boiling okra in water — Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad 30

Use a strainer or slotted spoon to transfer the boiled okra to the ice bath. The okra should have a bright jewel green color! Leave the okra in the ice bath while you prepare the sauce.

In a small saucepan, combine the oil, scallions, garlic, star anise, cinnamon stick, and Sichuan peppercorns. Place over medium low heat.

Scallions, garlic, and spices in saucepan with oil — Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad 31

Infusing oil in saucepan — Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad 32

Cook for about 10 minutes, until the scallions are thoroughly wilted and the garlic is a light golden color.

Infusing oil with scallions, garlic, and spices — Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad 33

Meanwhile, add the sesame seeds, chili flakes and salt to a small heatproof bowl.

When the oil has finished infusing, pour the oil through a strainer into the bowl of sesame seeds and chili flakes, and stir well.

Stir in the sesame paste, light soy sauce, sugar, and hot water until thoroughly combined.

Arrange the okra in a serving bowl.

Okra in serving dish — Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad 34

Pour the sauce over the top, and serve!

IF YOU LIKED THE DINNERWARE WE USED IN THIS POST:

If you liked the beautiful bowl we used in this post, check out Musubi Kilna company that sources traditional handcrafted tableware from Japanese artisans! Here’s the link to the bowl itself.

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