Okra
Okra or Okro known in many English-speaking countries as ladies' fingers, bhindi, bamia, ochro or gumbo, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. It is valued for its edible green seed pods. The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with supporters of West African, Ethiopian, and South Asian origins. The plant is cultivated in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions around the world.
Originally from Africa, okra is now widely used in cuisines such as Caribbean, Creole, Cajun and Indian. It's also known as bhindi or lady's fingers, in reference to the long, elegantly tapering shape.
Ridged along its length, the green, slightly fuzzy pod contains rows of edible seeds that release a mucilaginous (sticky, viscous) liquid when chopped and cooked, which has led to it being used to thicken soup and stew recipes, such as Cajun gumbo, but it's also served whole as a side dish.
Its flavor is quite subtle, so it benefits from being cooked with strong, spicy ingredients. It's availability is all year round.
For the best, look for firm, brightly colored pods. Avoid those that are limp or which have brown marks - they won't be so fresh. The bigger they are, the tougher they are; around 7-10cm is best.
To prepare, wash and dry. If you are serving the okra whole as a side dish, and don't want the liquid to be released during the cooking, trim around the stalks in a cone shape, so that the pod isn't pierced.
Soaking the whole pods in acidulated water for an hour can also help eliminate some of their liquid. If you do want to release the liquid, so that it can thicken a stew or soup, chop or slice thickly or thinly, according to your recipe.
Okra can be stored in a perforated bag in the fridge; they will keep for a few days.
There are several ways of cooking okra, prepare stew or soup.
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