Okra

Hibiscus esculenta

Appears in

The Gate Vegetarian Cookbook

By Adrian Daniel and Michael Daniel

Published 2004

About

This unique vegetable, a member of the mallow, or hibiscus, family, originated in Africa and still grows wild in Ethiopia. It is the elongated edible pod that results from the brilliant red and yellow blooms. Bamia in Arabic, bhindi in India and “ladies’ fingers” in English (okra is a corruption of an African name), few vegetables excite such different responses.

The sticky juices inside the pod, useful in cooking as a thickener, turn many people off. We always keep the pods whole and fry them first to reduce this “goopiness”. Other people soak them for a few hours in water acidulated with lemon juice or vinegar. Some people make the mistake of thinking that the longer you cook okra the less sticky it will seem, but without either preliminary frying or soaking it just goes on getting stickier as you cook it.