Spicy Shrimp and Okra Stew

This recipe is based on a shrimp dish that one of my aunts made often while she was in town several weeks back. I love the simplicity of this stew, and that the flavors are still bold and satisfying.

Paired with a few boiled green or yellow plantains, and some watercress on the side…you’ve got a complete meal. :o)



This stew features okra, which unfortunately is an automatic turnoff for some... alot of people dislike its slippery texture. It doesn't bother me much though! I love the veggie, plus it's really good for digestion too!

In most okra recipes, that texture is desired to thicken the dish, like in a gumbo, for instance.

The general rule of thumb for okra is that the smaller you cut it, the thicker the sauce will be...but since this stew is more on the thin side, not much thickening action is needed.
To keep the "sliminess" to a minimum, use fresh, firm okra, and keep it as close to whole as possible. Also, since the total cooking time is less that 30 minutes, less of the okra's slippery mucilage is drawn out into the dish, so that helps as well.


I spiced this up with a touch of my homemade picante chombo (hot sauce) from a few posts back...but feel free to use whatever pepper or hot sauce you like!

So...this isn’t exactly like my Aunt's, but it’s pretty close :o)
The curry, okra, and tomatoes create a very light but flavorful sauce, perfect for warm weather.

Spicy Shrimp and Okra Stew

Serves 3-4

1 pound large shrimp, cleaned and deveined
half of a lime

fresh black pepper

4 tablespoons oil (you can sub 2 of the tablespoons with butter for a richer sauce)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely minced

1 tablespoon curry powder

14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 pound of whole okra, stem ends trimmed

1 cup water ( if you'd like to use stock, reduce the salt a bit)
2 sprigs of thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning

1/2 teaspoon homemade pepper sauce ( or 1 teaspoon tabasco / red pepper flakes, etc.)

Right before you start cooking, toss the shrimp with some lime juice and fresh black pepper and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced onions and a pinch of salt, and let cook down until the onions are softened and translucent. Stir in the curry and minced garlic and continue to cook until the garlic and curry are really fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Take care that the garlic and onions don't brown too much though, you can turn the flame down slightly if needed.

Stir in the chopped tomatoes (including liquid), salt, adobo, thyme, okra, and water / stock.


Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high, then reduce the flame and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Avoid stirring the stew too much since this will break up the okra and make it more slippery.



Stir in the shrimp and pepper sauce. Cover the pot , reduce to a simmer, and let cook until shrimp is cooked through has turned pink (less than 5 minutes)...



Serve with rice and / or boiled plantains and some salad greens for a complete meal. That's it!!


Enjoy! :o)