Okra is yummy as fried finger food. Its also known as Lady’s finger or Gumbo in some regions. They are dainty to look at and delicious if cooked right. But if cooked too long or with too much water, they turn slimy. The trick is to cook it so that they keep their shape intact, crunchy on the outside and tender inside.
How to buy Lady’s finger?
Best to cook okra fresh or keep it for a few days in the fridge to avoid moisture.
Avoiding overcooking is a must for taste and nutritional benefits.
The young green seed pods are used as a vegetable.
The mucilage extracted is used to thicken sauces, soups, stews.
When you buy okra, they should be firm and not soggy or wilted. If it looks too big or with dark ends better not buy.
Keep okra dry, and do not wash it until you are cooking
Okra recipes
Before cooking, wash it under running water. Strain the water out. Pat dry with a tissue. Using a sharp knife, cut off the end with the stem. Then make half to one-inch pieces. Avoid washing after cutting.
You can cook stuffed Lady’s finger with onions tomatoes and tangy achaar.
I like my okra cooked just right. It has to be a little crisp and cooked properly. Not mushy. Bengalis cook okra in many ways. Cooking with poppy-seed paste or posto is a delicacy It’s also used in, mixed veggies.
The crunchy okra tastes great, but so does the side dishes. Its best eaten with Indian style tawa roti or phulka. But the fried okra tastes yummy with daal chawal(rice and pulses) too.
Okra recipes fried
During my Dilli days, I was a novice cook and okra helped solve many real issues. It is simple to cook.
Just air fry or shallow fry it with a little Kalo jeera, turmeric, green chillis, and salt, till the outside turns crunchy and the inside is cooked.
Okra Nutrition facts
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database, 100 grams uncooked okra contains:
33 calories
1.93 g of protein
0.19 g of fat
7.45 g of carbohydrate
3.2 g of fiber
1.48 g of sugar
31.3 milligrams (mg) of vitamin K
299 mg of potassium
7 mg of sodium
23 mg of vitamin C
0.2 mg of thiamin
57 mg of magnesium
82 mg of calcium
0.215 mg of vitamin B6
60 micrograms (mcg) of folate
36 mcg of vitamin A
Okra also has some iron, niacin, phosphorus, and copper.
Ladys Finger :Health benefits
Okras antidiabetic effect is under research.
It is used as a part of dietary therapy to lower sugar and in hypertriglyceridemia.
Okra’s high fiber and high mucilage help aid digestion.
One 100-gram cup of okra with 60 mcg of folate is a good way to increase folate in the diet. They have antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
They also have an anti-Fatigue effect.
Lectin a protein found in okra, beans, peanuts, and grains. Lectin from okra was used in a study to treat human breast cancer cells.
Okra health precaution
Okra has a high amount of in oxalates. Calcium oxalate stones are the commonest kidney stones. People who have suffered one episode of kidney stone are at risk for another episode. They should include okra in the diet only under doctors recommendation.
Okra is high in vitamin K.If you are on a blood-thinning drug like warfarin or coumadin, don’t include okra in your diet without consulting your doctor.
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Okra
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References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24746837
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5759678/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26516905
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6337517/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6337517/#B8-molecules-24-00038
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6337517/#B9-molecules-24-00038