Recipe: Malaysian Style Ladies Fingers (Okras)

Fresh Okras (or Lady's Fingers as these hairy and sticky vegetables are often called) plus dried shrimp... equals.... Malaysian Style Ladies Fingers! (Nicely manicured above) Wait a minute -- I wish cooking Malaysian-style Lady's Fingers were as easy as 1 + 1 = 2, but nothing prepared fresh is ever that simple (If it was, you wouldn't need food blogs like mine!). Granted this is not a super-hard dish to prepare at home, but you must ensure ALL the following ingredients are present in your kitchen. No cheating, or else everyone will leave your dinner party early. So here are the essentials needed for preparation: Fresh Lady's Fingers/Okras (about 10 of them sliced diagonally) 3 cloves of garlic (chopped) A handful of dried shrimp. OK, two handfuls -- I like lots of them! 5 fresh red chilies (blend them) 1 teaspoon of toasted Belacan (Malaysian Shrimp Paste) Cooking Oil Salt to taste Heat the wok and add the cooking oil. Stir fry chopped garlic and add in dried shrimps (soak and rinse dried shrimps in hot water before cooking). Add the Lady's Fingers, blended chilies, toasted Belacan, and salt. Stir fry for a few minutes and serve hot. Voila! You now have Malaysian-style Lady's Fingers - a classic dish from Malaysia.