Okra (or ladysfinger) has some reputation as a kidney cleanser. I shall look for peer-reviewed journal publications on this subject and post them here. Once kidneys fail, dialysis assistance is begun. If prevention of kidney failure is a goal then it may be prudent to include in one’s diet vegetables such as okra, which have a reputation for maintaining kidney health, until proven otherwise. Kidney care may be essential for the generous donors who are left with a single kidney to ensure renal function (Click here to read a story about one such donor, written by the donor).
Some may find okra cumbersome to handle, and you too may be intimidated, if you handle okra for the first time. Please, trust me. Do not be turned – off. Continue to explore this little, green, ribbed pod, full of these magnificent protein packed seeds. Together, they deliver a major dose of a beautiful, mixture of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, iron and iodine. On top of all this it includes crude fiber bringing with it a totally separate set of benefits. If the little okra did not deliver a serious benefit why else would ancient people on two separate continents be so devoted to the cultivation of fresh okra until current times? Click here for more than 400 photos of okra and okra recipes. A mucilaginous exudate appears when one chops the okra. Does this exudate have preventive properties? I shall look into it and post it here. Also, should I find a collection of tested recipes using okra, I shall post them here. Please, feel free to share your favorite okra recipes here too. Many kitchens have successfully conquered the art of cooking okra to include it as part of a renal – care menu, while celebrating the joy of a good meal. Please, visit by clicking on the international recipes featured here by different authors. You may be delightfully surprised by how flavorfully you can add okra to your own table through some of these following recipes:
1) Some, like their okras stuffed with masala, as in this Indian recipe.
2) Others like their okra fried, as in this Southern USA recipe.
3) While still others like it delicately spiced as in this Persian recipe.
4) The young fruit is eaten fresh in Nigeria, which perhaps is the only country that has two equally popular varieties of okra; one which is popular in the other countries and the second native to a restricted part of Nigeria. Although, there are several delicious African recipes to cook okra.
5) Chicago Tribune features this Indian style okra with tomatillos recipe along with a weight loss cartoon!
It is evident that okra has long been revered from these ancient recipes. Some more recipes sites are mentioned in the Bon Appetit magazine.
Okras are difficult in find in stores but you may want to look out for them. Also, they are easy to grow from seed in the summer. Exploring both options may prove rewarding.
Research on the cultivation and utilization of Abelmoschus esculentus or okra has mainly focused on several aspects, including its cultivation as a vegetable, as a medicine and for health care, as a beverage, and in gardening. The vegetable it produces contains many nutritious ingredients: 100 g of dry, tender okra pods includes 2.11 g of deoxidized sugar, 1.06 g of cellulose, 2.44 g of CP, 0.682 g of carotene, 26.5 mg of vitamin C, 1.25 mg of vitamin A, 10.2 mg of vitamin B, and many minerals, having slightly more than common vegetables and fruits. In addition to being a good source of vitamins A, B, C it is also provides protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, iron and iodine (Diaz and Ortegon, 1997). Consuming 100g of fresh okra pods provides 20, 15 and 50% of the daily recommended requirement of calcium, iron and ascorbic acid, respectively (Hamon, 1988; Schippers, 2002). It is advisable to eat the whole seeds. The seeds and their kernels are rich in protein as well as fat. Most of the protein and fat of the seed is found in the kernel while the seed coat is composed of crude fiber. It is a good source of essential amino acids but its levels are lower than that of whole egg protein.
References:
ISBN 90 – 5782 – 147 – 8
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Hey nice article and thanks for including my recipe for okra, although I wouldnt say it was curried! J 🙂
Thank you for your kind comment. What would you say instead of ‘curried’? I would very much prefer to use your term for your fabulous okra recipe.
Ohh so sorry, I dont know what happened but my reply got left on another article. I would describe it as delicately spiced! I did use the term ‘curried’ in reference to my daughters ‘cook off” in her office but since we dont really have any curried recipes, we decided to make this as it is so distinctive. 🙂 J
Thank you for your suggestion to change ‘curried’ to ‘delicately spiced’ and as you can see, I have done so already. Hoping many will try your recipe and benefit from the ageless benefits of okra!
Thank you for your generous and kind comment. Hopefully, you are the first of many.
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