Okura and Natto Rice

natto okura rice

One of my favorite Japanese foods is natto, fermented soybeans. Here we have it for breakfast with okra. A kaiseki chef taught me how he treats okra. He quickly blanches it in hot water, then opens up the pods and removes the bitter seeds, then chops up the okra. The sticky texture of the okra with the slimy texture of the natto is a great combination, especially over a bowl of hot rice.