I love Okra…now, but growing up with my grandma, she used to call these ladies fingers and so I refused to eat them. Ladies fingers are Okra, also known as Bhindi in Hindu.
On the inside Okra has seeds (making it technically a fruit) and is a little slimy, which puts people off. However, it is the gel-like substance called mucilage, that binds to cholesterol during digestion, causing it to be excreted rather than be absorbed into the body. In addition, the polyphenols can lower the inflammatory markers associated with heart disease.
In Ayurveda we see Okra as Astringent and Sweet. It is tri-doshic and used for lubricating the joints and GI tract.
Okra is a great ingredient, used across Asia. It is used raw in salads, lightly prepared with dashi in Japan. It is fried as a snack in India and of course made into all sorts of curries. It is also used in stews and gumbo’s in the southern united states and a dish I had in New Orleans came to mind and was the inspiration for this stew.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 1 cup zucchini, chopped
- 1 cup lotus root, chopped
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 cup pureed tomato
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1.5 cups precooked lentils (optional)
- 2 cups okra, chopped
- 1 tsp chili sauce
- ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves or a tbsp. dry
- ¼ cup fresh thyme or a tbsp. dry
Method
- Heat the coconut oil and fry the onions and garlic till soft, c. 5 minutes
- Add other vegetables, feel free to substitute for what you have
- Add spices, tomato paste and tomato puree, stock and lentils
- Taste and season
- Add the okra, chili and fresh herbs
- Let cook for 8-10 minutes
- Serve on its own or with Carolina gold rice
