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Unknown Okra Why is green vegetables so healthy?
Do you know Okra? The green pods are among the oldest vegetables in the world and are an important ingredient in African and Asian cuisine. According to their form, they are also called "Lady's Finger".
Very healthy: Orka vegetables. Image: pamela_d_mcadams-fotolia The okra belongs to the botanical family of mallow family and has its home in Africa. Today, it is grown in many tropical and subtropical areas, with India and Nigeria leading the way in production. The shrub can grow over two meters in height and carries up to 15 cm long capsule fruits. The pods are harvested immature, otherwise they become woody. They are usually green, fluffy hairy, edgy and beak-like. Even the small, bright seeds in the fruit chambers are edible. The vegetables hardly contain any calories. Ingredients include provitamin A, vitamin B and C, as well as minerals such as calcium and iron.
Before cooking, the pods are washed, dried and the stem and the dry tip removed. Then the okra can be made versatile. In salads, for example, it is thinly sliced and combined with tomatoes, onions and coriander. Cooked, roasted or stewed, the result is a mildly aromatic vegetable with a taste reminiscent of green beans. However, it also has a tart and sour note. Okra goes well with meat, fish and seafood and is often used for vegetable pans or spicy curry. The pods contain a milky slime that exudes when cooking and how cornflour acts. Therefore, they can be used to thicken soups, stews and sauces. If you want to avoid this effect, blanch the okra for a few minutes in vinegar water and chill it off cold. Another option is to soak in cold lemon water.
Okra pies are available primarily in African and Asian stores. Pay attention to freshness and quality when shopping. The pods should be green, crisp and no more than 10 cm long. Already shriveled or hard fruits are not suitable for consumption. Okra is also available in preserved foods and as dry goods. However, dried pods must be watered for 24 hours before they can be cooked. Heike Kreutz, bzfe