Grilled okra with cheese and bonito flakes

Yaki okra no cheese okaka (焼きオクラのチーズおかか）

Okra, which is in season in the summer, is grilled and topped with cheese and bonito flakes.

The trick to making it delicious is to cook the okra just enough to keep it crunchy.

The rich flavors of the cheese and bonito flakes add an accent.Cheese, bonito flakes, and soy sauce are all fermented foods and go very well together.

Adding soy sauce to the heated frying pan also adds a delicious aroma.

For more information on bonito flakes, see this article.　👉　Broccoli and Bonito Flakes salad

What kind of food is okra??

Okra is known as lady’s finger in some English-speaking countries.

It is grown in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions around the world and is used in many countries’ cuisines. It is well known as an ingredient in gumbo, a local dish of Louisiana.

The source of okra’s characteristic stickiness is mucin and pectin. Mucin protects the stomach mucosa and helps digest protein, while pectin is said to reduce cholesterol in the blood and lower blood sugar and blood pressure.

Fresh okra can be eaten raw, but it is said that it is best not to eat too much.

Okra has fine hairs on its surface, so if you sprinkle salt on it and rub the okra together before cooking, it will have a better texture. However, I don’t mind this, so I use it as is.

If you chop boiled okra into small pieces, it will become sticky. If you don’t like the stickiness, mixing it with tomatoes or dressing will make it more acidic, which will weaken the stickiness of the okra’s dietary fiber.

NUTRITION FACTS

82kcal Protein 5.1g Fat 4.0g Carbs 7.2g Salt Equivalent 0.5g

INGREDIENTS

6 okra (90g)
oil 1g
soy sauce 2g
shredded cheese 5g
dried bonito flakes 1g

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

➀ Scrape off the tough tops of the okra with a knife.

② Coat a frying pan with a thin layer of oil.

③ Cook the okra over medium heat until browned on both sides.

④ Turn off the heat, drizzle soy sauce over the okra and top with cheese.

⑤ Cover and let the residual heat melt the cheese.

⑥ Top with bonito flakes.

naokoan

I’m Naoko. After graduating from a registered dietitian training school, I am working as a registered dietitian at a hospital in Japan. I love to cook and eat delicious food. I make recipes with calorie counting. The reason why all the ingredients are written as “g” is to accurately calculate calories. I am especially good at cooking with pressure cookers and ovens. I would like to introduce the recipe to foreigners who are interested in Japanese food. So I started writing Japanese home cooking recipes on my blog in English. 大学卒業後、管理栄養士として病院で勤務しています。レシピはカロリー計算を出来るだけ正確に行いたいので“g”で表記しています。日本の家庭料理のレシピを英語で紹介しています。圧力鍋とオーブンを使う料理が得意です。日本食・和食に興味を持ってもらえたら嬉しいです。よろしくお願いします(*ˊᵕˋ)♡‧₊