Okra

In Indian English, we call these pods ladies’ fingers. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) came to both India and the New World from Africa. Par-sis love okra cooked with eggs or with braised meat, a dish probably of Persian origin that is found all over the Arab world. Okra is now a supermarket vegetable. Com-monsense rules of selection apply: Whether it’s ridged or smooth, green or dark pink, buy okra when it’s young, firm, tender, and not streaked with black.