Information about Lady Finger (Okra)
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Ladyfinger which is flowering plant in the
mallow family also know as okra. It is a
common food plant with high medicinal value
in tradition medicines. Nutritional contents
of this wonderful plant are thiamin,
riboflavin, folic acid, Vitamin 6, Vitamin A,
Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium, Magnesium,
Phosphorus, Potassium, Manganese, Niacin,
Iron, Zinc and Copper, Protein and High in
Dietary Fiber.
Okra is good natural treatment for weight
loss and to maintain optimum health.
The name "okra", most often used in the United
States and the Philippines, is of West African origin
and is cognate with "ọ́ kụ̀ rụ̀ " in Igbo, a language spoken
in Nigeria.[2] Okra is often known as "Lady's Fingers"
outside of the United States.[3] In various Bantu
languages, okra is called "kingombo" or a variant
thereof, and this is the origin of its name in
Portuguese ("quiabo"), In the United Kingdom it is
often called as "bhindi", from its Hindi name "bhindi"
or "bhendi".
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The geographical origin of okra is disputed, with
supporters of South Asian, Ethiopian and West
African origins. Supporters of a South Asian origin
point to the presence of its proposed parents in
that region.It is most popular in Pakistan and India,
where chopped pieces are stir fried with spices,
pickled, salted or added to gravy-based
preparations like Bhindi Ghosht or sambar. In
western parts of India (Gujarat, Maharashtra),
okra is often stir-fried with some sugar.
Description of Lady Finger (Okra)
The leaves are 10–20 cm long and broad,
palmately lobed with 5–7 lobes.
The flowers are 4–8 cm diameter, with five
white to yellow petals, often with a red or purple
spot at the base of each petal.
The fruit is a capsule up to 18 cm long, containing
numerous seeds.
Lady Finger is cultivated throughout the tropical
and warm temperate regions of the world for its
fibrous fruits or pods containing round, white
seeds. It is among the most heat- and droughttolerant vegetable species in the world—but
severe frost can damage the pods and will tolerate
poor soils with heavy clay and intermittent
moisture.
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In cultivation:
The seeds are soaked overnight prior to
planting to a depth of 1–2 cm.
Germination occurs between six days (soaked
seeds) and three weeks. Seedlings require
ample water.
The seed pods rapidly become fibrous and
woody and must be harvested within a week
of the fruit being pollinated to be edible.
The fruits are harvested when immature and
eaten as a vegetable.
1:Okra flower bud and immature seed pod
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2:Okra plant while flowering
before the fruit emerges.
3:Okra seed pod
4:Lady's finger
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Nutritional Value:
The following chart itself explains the
nutritional value of the Lady's finger or Okra:
1:It is low in Sodium, Saturated Fat and
Cholesterol, thus, an ideal diet for human
consumption
2:High in Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C,
Vitamin K, thiamin, Vitamin B6, Folate,
Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium,
Manganese, Protein, Riboflavin, Niacin, Iron,
Zinc and Copper.
Health Check:
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1:The Lady Finger is popular for its diuretic properties.
It has been used in the treatment of urinary tract
infections for many years now and in many countries of
the world.
2:Lady Finger is a very valuable source of nutrition. It
can help with the following health conditions:
1. It helps relieve constipation
2. It helps control blood sugar as it curbs the rate at
which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.
3. It helps in healing acid reflux
4. It contains soluble fibre which helps in controlling
the cholesterol level in our bodies.
5. It contains insoluble fiber too which keeps the
intestinal track healthy.
6. Lady Finger helps in reducing risks of deadly diseases
like cancer
Lady Fingers Nutrition (half-cup cooked Lady
Finger) contains:
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* Calories : 25
* Dietary Fiber : 2 grams
* Protein : 1.5 grams
* Carbohydrates : 5.8 grams
* Vitamin A : 460 IU
* Vitamin C : 13 mg
* Folic acid : 36.5 micrograms
* Calcium: 50 mg
* Iron : 0.4 mg
* Potassium : 256 mg
* Magnesium : 46 mg
Okra Vendaka Masala Pachchadi
:
Recipe:
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1) Lady Finger 800 gm
2) Cashew nuts 15 gm
3) Coconut milk 60 ml
4) Coriander powder 15 gm
5) Cumin (zeera) seeds 2.5 gm
6) Curry leaves 10
7) Grated coconut 1/3 cup
8) Groundnut oil to deep fry
9) Mustard (sarson) seeds 1 tsp
10) Onions, chopped 125 gm
11) Red chilli powder 1 tsp
12) Red chillies, whole 3
13) Salt to taste
14) Tomatoes, chopped 1 cup
15) Turmeric (haldi) powder 2.5 gm
16) Lentils (urad daal) husked and split 4 tsp
17) Yogurt 120 gm
1. Wash, pat dry and cut the okra into 1 inch pieces.
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2. Heat the groundnut oil in a Sauspan and deep fry the okra on
medium heat till crisp, about 5-6 minutes.
3. Drain and reserve the oil.
4. Put the cashew nuts and the coconut in a blender, add coconut
milk and make a fine paste.
5. Heat 75 ml of the reserved oil.
6. Add cumin and mustard seeds, urad daal, whole red chillies and
the curry leaves.
7. Keep it over medium heat till the seeds begin to crackle.
8. Add onions. Keep frying till golden brown.
9. Stir in the tomatoes, then add red chilli powder, turmeric,
coriander and salt.
10. Keep stirring till the fat surfaces.
11. Reduce the flame, add the coconut paste and stir again for 2
minutes.
12. Remove from the fire and add yogurt.
13. Stir, add 400 ml/1 2/3 cups water.
14. Return to heat and begin to boil. Simmer.
15. Add the deep fried okra and cook till gravy seeps in.
Final Dish:
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