Okura Okazu (Okra Side dish)

Easing your way into something new is the approach I like to take. That's why I'm not gonna bring out the big guns and start talking about natto (fermented soy beans) as my first neba neba oooey gooey dish. I like a little neba neba (slimy) stuff every now and then. I always feel like I'm eating something super good for me when I eat it. Okura (okra) has a lot of texture from the crunch of the green skin, seeds and membrane and of course it's lovely slimy goodness.

Okra has a beautiful geometric shape and along with it's bright green color and pearly seeds, it looks appetizing without doing much.

Ingredients
1 cup of cooked and chopped okra
1 teaspoon of vinegar
1 teaspoon of soy sauce.
1/4 cup of unpacked katsuobushi

1) Boil water and cook the okra whole for 2 minutes.
2) Drain and cool in cold water.
3) Cut off the ends and chop into 1/8 inch slices.
4) Add the soy sauce, vinegar and chopped okra and stir with chop sticks until foamy. About 2 minutes.
5) Mix in katsuobushi and serve.

Into a bowl for a wash.


Blanch the okra. You want them to still have a crunch.


All lined up and ready to be chopped.


Mix and bring out that neba neba!


Enjoy!