Okra Hibiscus esculentus - Bhindi, Gumbo, Ladies’ fingers A tropical annual plant which is a member of the mallow family and whose fruits, or pods, are eaten as a vegetable. The fruit pods are slender and tapering and have earned them the common name ‘ladies’ fingers’. It is thought that the plant originated in Africa, probably Ethiopia, and managed to spread to Arabia, the eastern Mediterranean countries and India, but as it failed to gain popularity in Europe in the Greco-Roman period, its progress beyond these regions was relatively slow. It was taken to America by the Portuguese and Dutch slave traders, where its Angolan name, ki ngombo, already changed by the Portuguese to quingombo, was shortened to gombo or gumbo. Its journey eastwards took even longer, arriving in China as late as the 19th century. The Cajun style of cooking relies on okra for the mucilaginous quality of the pods, its gooey sap being used to thicken the famous gumbo stew. In Eastern cooking, too, this quality is often called for in recipes as a thickener. One Indian method of preparation, however, which involves slicing the pods very finely, deep frying and spicing with amchur, bypasses this effect entirely, and transforms what can be an over-gooey vegetable for some, into a crisp and tasty alternative. Nutritionally, okra is high in fibre, one of the best vegetable sources, which may help to reduce high cholesterol levels and counter the risk of colon and rectal cancer. It is also a reasonable source of vitamin C and beta-carotene, both antioxidants which help prevent the furring of the arteries which lead to heart attack and stroke. As far as minerals are concerned, okra is a good source of potassium which works with sodium to regulate body water balance and normalises heart rhythm. Low potassium intake has been associated with high blood pressure and heart arrhythmia. 100g fresh okra = 39 kcalories.