Okura, gombo, Bhindi, “ladies fingers”, okra or okra - aren't they interesting names, similar either to a grape variety, or to a coloring mineral, or maybe they resemble something else? What is okra is still an exotic, but already becoming more and more familiar to Europeans, grassy vegetable of the Malvova family. His homeland is likely to be Africa, although some researchers believe that India, as a vegetable in nature is also quite common there.
Did you know? Okra looks very elegant and subtle, like thin, long, well-groomed ladies' fingers - hence one of the names.
The fruit of okra is a pod widely used in cooking. Soups, salads, snacks, sauces are made from it, they can also be canned, dried and frozen. Okra goes well with fish, meat, offal, seafood, cheeses, legumes, cereals, with many vegetables. What does okra taste like? Most of all, its taste resembles asparagus.
Calorie, composition and nutritional value of okra
In 100 g of the fruit of bambia - 32 kcal. Ingredients: 100 g contains proteins - 2 g, fat - 0.1 g, carbohydrates - 3, 8 g, ash - 0, 6 g, water - 90.2 g. Okra fruits contain vitamins B6, K, C, A, calcium, iron, potassium.
Important! Only young ovaries are edible in okra. In food, fruits are ripped no older than 5 days.
Seeds and seeds of fully ripened okra pods are used as a coffee substitute. They, like coffee beans, are roasted, ground and brewed. Okra dishes with vegetables or porridges cooked in water, or boiled meat and fish are low-calorie and healthy.
What is useful okra
The value of okra is in its high content of vitamin-mineral complex and coarse fiber, which is more important for the body than soft fiber. Vitamins and minerals prevent avitaminosis, increase immunity, performance, and coarse fibers improve intestinal motility, absorb and eliminate toxins and harmful decomposition products.
The fruits of okra are recommended for many gastric diseases - the mucus secreted by them relieves inflammation, envelops, protects the walls of the stomach; for diabetics - lower blood sugar levels; for those who are struggling with overweight - they contribute to weight loss. They are useful for strengthening the venous capillaries, preventing atherosclerosis, with chronic fatigue, depression.
There is evidence of the successful use of okra in the treatment of cataracts, asthma, cancer. Okra - it is always beneficial to the body, and the harm from it can only be with an individual intolerance of the vegetable body, causing various allergic reactions.
Did you know? Seeds of okra contain up to 41% of oils, which are squeezed from the seeds of ripe fruit and used in cooking.
How to choose the fruits of okra when buying
The pods should be smooth, light green in color, not more than 9-11 cm in length and with a slight pubescence. Darker, larger and longer fruits do not take - they are inedible.
How to store okra
The shelf life of okra in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. A good alternative to cold storage is freezing. Both whole pods and sliced - along, in circles, cubes are frozen.
Did you know? The okra pods on the cut resemble a flower with a white core and petals bordered with green edging.
Use in cooking: how to cook okra
Okra is a versatile vegetable, and its recipes are the most diverse. You can use recipes for making zucchini, eggplant, asparagus, white cabbage, combining okra with all your favorite foods and using spices that you like. Preparing okra quickly - 20-25 minutes.
Important! Sometimes there are sharp, burning areas in the pod; This should be taken into account when cooking and putting, for example, less spicy spices. But when okra is cooked a lot, as a rule, the sharp taste in the total mass of the dish is indistinguishable.
Application in cosmetology
In cosmetology, okra pods are used to prepare cleansing, refreshing and toning masks for the face and body; medical strengthening balms for hair.
Raw sliced fruit is applied to cleansed face or boiled pods until mucus appears, then lemon, carrot juice, egg yolk is added, mixed and applied to prepared skin.
Hair balm mask - 4-5 fruits of okra boil in a small amount of water until thick mucus is formed, cool, drain, add a few drops of lemon juice to the mucus, stir and apply on the hair for 20-30 minutes. Then rinse with warm water.
Contraindications and possible side effects
Side effects are possible with overeating vegetables - disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (diarrhea, sometimes vomiting). So with moderate use, 300-400 g of okra per day will be enough for an adult - there will be no adverse reactions. Okra has no contraindications - at least, they are not known today. The only thing, as mentioned above, is that with individual intolerance, okra is completely excluded from the menu.
Acquaintance with okra is an excellent reason to diversify the usual menu by adding a new useful product.
