Okra Ohitashi is a simple, light, and flavorful Japanese side dish of blanched okras in a soy sauce-based marinade. Prepare it ahead of time so that you can serve this salad instantly for dinner.
One of the easiest side dishes you can make to accompany your Japanese meal is Ohitashi. Today I’m sharing Okra Ohitashi (オクラのおひたし) or Japanese Okra Salad. This simple vegetable recipe is super handy when you are in need of something refreshing and wholesome to balance the dinner.
What is Ohitashi?
Ohitashi (おひたし) is a Japanese cooking method, meaning “soaking”, which is turned into a dish name. Yes, it’s like Teriyaki, a cooking method (applying glossy sauce + grill) that has been doubled as a dish name.
For Ohitashi dishes, fresh ingredients are blanched quickly and soaked in a dashi-infused soy sauce-based marinade for several hours. The marinade has umami from dashi (katsuobushi & kombu dashi or vegetarian/vegan dashi), a savory taste from soy sauce, and a tinge of sweetness from mirin.
If you’re looking for an interesting side dish for your Japanese-style Ichiju Sansai (1 soup 3 dishes) meal, this Okra Ohitashi will work to round things up for you.
3 Tips to Make Delicious Okra Ohitashi
1. Do not overcook the vegetables
Set a timer or pay attention to the doneness of the okra. You do not want to overcook the vegetables as they can easily lose texture and turn mushy.
2. Use an ice bath to stop cooking immediately
It might look like extra work to prepare iced water, but it’s the most efficient way to stop cooking immediately. Ice bath helps prevent the okra from turning mushy and revive the color. However, make sure to remove the okra (or other vegetables) from the water as soon as they are cool. You don’t want them to be watery or lose nutrients.
3. Squeeze water out well
You don’t want to dilute the sauce with excess moisture coming from the vegetables. Therefore, squeeze tightly to remove the water before you soak the okra or any other vegetables you use in the ohitashi marinade.
Variations of Ohitashi
With its crisp-tender and unique viscous texture, okra can make an appealing side than the usual boring vegetables. It is also a good source of minerals, vitamins, and fiber too! When they are in season, I like to snatch them up quick and make ohitashi right away.
While I enjoy okra, I know not everyone has the same liking for this finger-shaped vegetable. So if you are not a big fan, you can certainly use other vegetables for this ohitashi recipe. Here are some of the common ingredients used for ohitashi dishes in Japan.
- Asparagus
- Bean sprouts
- Bell pepper
- Bitter melon (Goya)
- Celery
- Eggplant (a deep-fried version)
- Komatsuna
- Komatsuna & Aburaage
- Nanohaya (rapeseed flower)
- Napa cabbage
- Shungiku
- Shungiku & Aburaage
- Spinach (recipe here)
With just a handful of ingredients, the ohitashi technique is a fool-proof way to get more vegetables to the plate. Like this easy Okra Ohitashi, you will need only a few minutes to prepare your vegetable ahead of time and enjoy them on a daily basis.
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Okura Ohitashi (Japanese Okra Salad)
Ingredients
- 10 okra (100 g, 3.5 oz)
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
For the Marinade
- 1 cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) (for vegan/vegetarian, make Vegan Dashi; here are 3 ways to make dashi. I usually make the standard Awase Dashi with kombu and katsuobushi)
- 2 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce (or use regular soy sauce; Tip: we use usukuchi soy sauce when you want to keep the broth/sauce color light)
- 2 Tbsp mirin
For the Topping (optional)
- katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (omit for vegetarian/vegan)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
- Cut off the stem ends of 10 okra. Peel off the hard part around the tops of the okra as shown in the picture below.
- They should look like this. Tip: If you cut the end completely, water gets inside.
- Bring enough water to a boil. Sprinkle ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt over the okra and rub gently on the cutting board. Tip: This brings out the bright color of any green vegetables (such as cucumbers) and removes the bitter taste.
- Once the water has come to a boil, put in the okra (without removing the salt) in the boiling water and blanch for 1–2 minutes.
- Drain and cool the okra in iced water. As soon as they are cool, remove from the water and squeeze gently to remove excess water. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, add 2 Tbsp mirin and let the alcohol evaporate for 1–2 minutes.
- When there is no more alcohol smell, add 1 cup dashi (Japanese soup stock) and 2 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce. Once it boils, turn off the heat and set aside.
- Transfer the okra to a shallow glass baking dish. Pour the marinade into the dish while the marinade is still warm. Let steep at room temperature for at least 1–2 hours before serving.
To Serve
- Plate the okra on a serving dish, drizzle some marinade over the okra, and sprinkle with katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). You can serve it at room temperature or chilled. Enjoy it within 2 days.
Does the okra retain a firmer inner texture since it is only cooked briefly, or does it still have the slimy inner texture? Thanks so much.
Hello, Eric! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
Okura retains its firmer texture. However, if you do not use ice-cold water to stop the cooking process, the inner section will continue to cook with the remaining heat, becoming soft and slimy.
We hope this was helpful!
Dear Nami, thank you for this recipe! I never liked okra as a child but love to cook and try new things. This is a wonderful preparation and it worked really well my first time. Mine turned out a little slimy, but it was OK as a light summer dish served cold, and fairly simple to make. Your instructions are clear with the photos and I will try steaming them next time.
Hi MyName! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are so happy to hear you enjoyed Okura Ohitashi. Next time, please shorten the cooking time so the Okura will not get slimy. And don’t forget to use iced water to cool it off quickly. We hope this helps for the next time!
I love this recipe!
I did tweak it a bit by adding 2 tbsp rice vinegar, 2 tsp ginger, and 1/2 tsp pepper flakes to the marinade.
Also, I added some grape tomatoes and diced tofu while marinating as well.
Okra pairs well with tomatoes, and the ginger and vinegar really brighten the flavor!
Hi Donald! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience and tips with us!
We will try it next time.🙂
This is my favorite way to eat okra now! I make it using the instant tsuyu you can buy at Japanese groceries, so it’s much easier 😂 thank you for this recipe.
Hi Cr00cr00, Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
We are glad to hear this is your favorite way to eat Okura now. Next time, we hope you will give it a try with homemade marinade! It is so delicious!😊
I love okra and I can’t wait to try this recipe. I have one question, can I use frozen okra instead of fresh. And if so will it alter the taste. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Hi Sandy! My only concern is that frozen okra may release moisture/liquid once defrosted? Be careful as it may dilute the sauce. If possible, defrost completely in the fridge before you marinate. 🙂
I’m vegetarian so I made this using kombu dashi. I really like this way of cooking okra, so light and with so much flavor!
Hi Smruti! I’m so happy to hear you like Ohitashi. Thanks for your kind feedback!
Hi Namiko San! I love okra or any vegetable short blanched and still crisp so thank you for this okra ohitashi recipe! Just one point; your instruction states “cut off ends of okra” to prepare it but isn’t it the TOPS that need to be trimmed because that’s what your photo is showing? That said, I can’t wait to try this recipe! Thank you and mata ne!! 😊🥀
Hi Harumi! I hope you enjoy this recipe. You still want to cut off the ends (I showed in Step 2 left image). Instead of “Cut off the tail end of okras”, should I say “tip”?
Maybe “stem” would be more clear?
Nami! I just cant get enough of your wonderful recipes! And this one is definitely a keeper. Okra is very valuable and nutritious ‘superfood’ and I remember my mom forcing us to eat these slimy tasting veggies when I was a kid. And now, I cant imagine not having okra as part of my daily meal! The ohitashi preparation is by far the BEST method I know for enjoying okra as a side dish with whatever meal I have (I really like it with ramen or soba 😉 Thanks again, Nami!
Hi Autom! Thank you so much for trying my recipes! I’m glad you like this ohitashi recipe with okra! Thank you for your kind comment! 🙂
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Thank you for the recipe, Nami!
I had this dish at my grandma’s house in Japan just a couple days before you posted this recipe! It was amazing and comforting to eat home cooked meals, especially after days of eating out. This was a simple yet delicious dish that I wanted to make at home when I got back to California.
I’ve made this twice now and it brought back memories of my grandma each time!
Hi Sarah! What a timing and coincidence! And it’s wonderful that you get to taste grandma’s cooking. Thank you so much for your kind feedback. 🙂 Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Wouldn’t it better to just steam them? Then you don’t have a water log issue. Thanks for this recipe, I just cut the last of the Star of David okra off the plant and will try this. I typically fry it in cornmeal breading or use it in soup, this will be a nice recipe to fool around with – adding a more vegan touch.
For some unknown reason the only okra you can find in the store is the one that produces the most slime. There are like 100 different kinds of okra, a lot of them not slimy at all.
Hi Devilyn! Somehow “steaming” scare people away (maybe the set up? Not sure), but yes, you can definitely steam this!
I thought it’s interesting about slimy okra. Ones in Japan are definitely slimy kind. I thought okras I can get here are not as slimy. Thanks for letting me know there are different kinds of okra!
I never used to like Okra but I think I’m finally an adult. I’m definitely going to try making this over the weekend! Looks delicious!
Hi Adrian! Come to think of it, I don’t think I liked okras that much either when I was young. 😀 Now I’m using it often as one of green vegetable rotation. 🙂 Hope you enjoy the recipe!