Okra:
Why eat the Vegetable formally known as Hibiscus Esculentus?
(A Caribbean and African Delicacy)
By Claudia Foleng-Achunche
 This vegetable also known as Okra, Ochro, Okro,
Bhindi, Bamia, Bamieh, Gumbo, quimgumbo and even
Lady Fingers, is one of our planets most nutritious
and mouth-watering vegetables.
Okra traces its origin from what was known as
Abyssinia (Ethiopia) spreading right through to
the Eastern Mediterranean regions, India, Africa,
North America, South America and the Caribbean.
Though long popular South of the Sahara and in
the Caribbean, it is only now being recognized
and sold in non-continental supermarkets around
the UK and in other Western Countries.
Hibiscus Esculentus is a small green pod best
used as a thickener of soups. Its flavour and texture
are unique. For comparison, its taste falls between
that of the eggplant and the asparagus.
It blends well with other vegetables such as tomatoes,
chilli peppers, spinach, mushrooms and exudes a
sticky juice which when added to any liquid will
thicken it.
Okra can also be breaded and fried, in which case
the juice exudes less.
This unusual vegetable does not only offer a superb
taste, but also is nutritious and medicinal. It
is a good source of Vitamin C, Folic Acid, essential
B vitamins as well as magnesium, manganese and
potassium. Okra is also high in dietary fibre.
The ripe seeds of Okra are sometimes roasted,
ground and brewed as a substitute for coffee. A
close relative to the Okra plant - Roselle
is used as a good source of cloth fibre. In countries
such as Turkey and Cyprus, the leaves are used
in preparing medicinal remedies to soothe and reduce
swellings and inflammations.
In some southern regions the seeds are of more
value than the pods because of their ability to
yield oil. When the pods are ripe, their seeds
yield edible oil somewhat equal to other more expensive
oils such as olive or sunflower oils.
This vegetable is marketed processed as well as
fresh and frozen. Small young pods no more than
3.5 inches long are the most tender and have the
most nutritional content. As the vegetable matures,
it becomes tough, dry and dull.
Okra can be served raw, or prepared in the several
ways: boiled, sautéed, stewed as a soup,
blanched or even microwaved.
Boiling: It can be boiled and served with other
green vegetables or on it’s on. Trim ends
and cook whole pods till crisp and tender for about
10 minutes.
Blanching: Okra can be blanched by dropping whole
pods into a large saucepan of boiling water. If
serving cold as a salad, cool in a bowl of ice
water before serving.
Microwaving: Rinse but do not dry pod and place
in a covered microwavable dish for 7 minutes.
Sautéing: Fry chopped onion and garlic
in a small amount of hot vegetable oil. Then add
Okra (sliced or blended) seasoning and peppers.
Cook for 10-15 minutes.
Finally, Okra is best stored dry, untrimmed, uncut
in the refrigerator or in a cool place.
Recipe
(From Tasty and Exotic Foods)
Ingredients:
400g Sliced Okra
200g Egusi (Ground)
1 Small fresh chilli
2 tablespoons of All Purpose Seasoning- Dunn’s
River
1 small Onion
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
Salt to Taste
Method:
- Heat oil in a saucepan and fry in onion until
golden brown.
- Mix egusi with warm water
to form a paste and pour into saucepan.
- Add seasoning
and salt and stir frequently for 5-7 minutes.
- Blend
okra together with fresh chilli in a wet blender,
add to saucepan and whisk with
a wooden spoon.
- Add 250ml of water and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
- Serve
hot with Gari or Rice
Please note that image of Egusi can be found in
the book.
All ingredients can be purchased from any African/Caribbean
food shop.
Happy Cooking.
Claudia Foleng-Achunche is author of Tasty and
Exotic Foods: Tempt Your Taste Buds with These
Exotic Foods of the Tropics; Price: £11.50.
Buy it here
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