What is an exotic okra plant. Useful properties and chemical composition of okra, recipes and cooking features. Interesting facts about the thermophilic vegetable. The seeds of the plant contain oil, which is reminiscent of olive oil in terms of its beneficial effect and taste. The pods contain a large amount of mucous substances and organic acids.
Useful properties of okra
Okra is not only a food crop, but also used as a medicinal plant. Its beneficial properties are most pronounced when consumed raw, but they also persist after competent culinary processing.
The benefits of okra for the body:
- Prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal diseases.
- Mild laxative effect, increasing the activity of lactobacilli that colonize the intestines. With intestinal atony, the use of okra stimulates peristalsis.
- Recuperation after exhausting physical exertion and serious illness.
- Reducing the frequency of attacks in bronchial asthma.
- Increase of libido in men, reproductive function and restoration of potency.
- Normalization of blood glucose levels by stimulating insulin production.
- Prevents malignancy at the cellular level, inhibits the development of colon and breast cancer. Stops the development of cataracts and diabetes mellitus, as okra has an antioxidant effect.
- Helps to avoid depression, as the complex effect of the chemical composition contributes to the production of serotonin.
- Strengthens the walls of blood vessels, is used to prevent atherosclerosis.
It is necessary to dwell separately on the benefits of okra during pregnancy - in a vegetable culture, a high content of vitamin B9, folates, with a lack of them, the fetal neural tube is formed with congenital anomalies.
The energy value of okra is so low that when consumed, no fatty layer is formed. Therefore, a dish with this ingredient can be safely introduced into the diet of those who are losing weight in order to drown out the constant feeling of hunger. It is this sensation that causes food breakdowns. Okra helps maintain weight consistently.
Harm and contraindications to the use of okra
There are no contraindications to the use of okra - this product rarely causes allergic reactions.
But the preparation of okra can harm a person - provoke skin irritation. The surface of the pods is covered with fine hairs that contain allergens. They act on the skin like nettle, that is, they burn. Burn symptoms: severe itching, hyperemia, the appearance of small red nodules or blisters. If you peel vegetables with gloves, hand injuries can be avoided.
Large okra pods have one more feature - their pulp tastes hot, irritates the oral mucosa, and later - the digestive tract. Therefore, it is recommended to subject large pods to heat treatment - this eliminates the pungency, and only young fruits should be eaten raw.
Okra recipes
Okra can be stewed, fried, boiled, harvested for the winter by conservation or freezing. The pods make a very tasty side dish for meat or fish. The exotic okra tastes well with traditional products.
Okra recipes:
- Freeze for the winter … To prepare okra for the winter, it is best to freeze it. To do this, each pod is dipped in boiling water for a minute, then the skin is removed along with the hairs covering the surface, dipped in cold water and dried. Each pod is cut lengthwise into 2 parts, folded into plastic bags and placed in a quick-freezer. In the future, when preparing dishes, the same recipes are used as for raw vegetables.
- Warm salad … Bacon is cut into squares, fried in olive oil until golden brown. Pieces of young okra pod are added to this frying pan, stirring constantly, fry for another minute. Bacon with okra is transferred to the dish in which the salad will be served, a little more oil is added, seasoned with wine vinegar, ground black and white pepper, and salted. Decorate the top with lettuce and parsley. It is better to pick greens with your hands. If you plan to serve salad in separate plates, it is advisable to warm them up.
- Creamy side dish … Okra pods are prepared for heat treatment as follows: they are washed, the hairs are carefully peeled off so as not to damage the peel, the ends are cut off. In terms of technology, the process is similar to preparing cucumbers for pickling. Then okra pods - 350-400 g - are dipped in boiling water and boiled for 3 minutes. Cut the onion into half rings, ham - 100 g - into cubes. The ingredients are brought to readiness in this order: the onions are fried until transparent in a frying pan with deep sides, adding butter. Then put bacon in a frying pan, a few - 6-8 sage leaves - season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. 1 minute before readiness, when the ingredients in the pan acquire a pleasant spicy taste, that is, it will be impossible to taste them separately, pieces of okra and parmesan cheese are spread in the dish, as well as whipped cream - about half a glass. Put out for 1 minute, remove from heat and immediately put on plates. Sprinkle with herbs on each serving.
- Vegetable salad … In this dish, okra is pickled, while it not only retains all its useful properties, but also acquires new qualities, its chemical composition is enriched with nutrients from the components of the marinade. Juice is squeezed out of 200 g of grapes, chili peppers are finely chopped, after having cleaned of membranes and removing all grains. Okra is cut into rings, poured with marinade and refrigerated for 3 days. All salad products can be taken in equal quantities or the content of one or another component can be increased to your liking. Peking cabbage leaves without a coarse shank are torn into several parts by hand, grains of an ear of corn or a canned product are added, carrots cut into slices and slices - bell pepper. Another component is the celery stalk, which is also cut into slices, after having been peeled. All ingredients, including okra, are combined, seasoned with olive oil, fresh grape juice or marinade in which okra was marinated, and salted.
- Fried okra … The most successful find of culinary experts is okra fried in batter. To prepare it, the large okra pods are washed and cut into several pieces. To make batter, beat eggs, add a little flour, garlic powder or crushed garlic, a mixture of peppers. In another container, mix the grated Parmesan with bread crumbs. Pieces of okra are dipped first in a bowl of batter, then in a cheese-rusk mixture and fried in a hot frying pan in sunflower oil. Once golden brown is formed, spread the okra on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
- Casserole … The main ingredients are okra and tomatoes in the same quantity, for example, 200 g each, a piece of bread, a glass of milk. For flavoring: salt, thyme, a mixture of peppers, 2 tablespoons of flour, butter - butter and vegetable. Okra is boiled in boiling water for 2 minutes, then spread out and allowed to cool. Tomatoes are cut into slices, the ends of the okra are cut off and cut into slices, the bread is crumbled. Tomatoes, okra and bread crumbs are mixed with chopped thyme and put in a baking dish - preferably silicone, greased with sunflower oil. The sauce for the casserole is prepared in a pan - the flour is combined with milk and fried until a beautiful golden color appears, pray and pepper. Pour the casserole with the dressing and put the dish in the oven, preheated to 180 degrees, for 45 minutes. The surface of the finished casserole is covered with a pleasant crust and the sauce thickens completely.
- Okra Seed Drink … Ripe seeds are removed from the pod, fried in a dry frying pan, then ground in a coffee grinder. The drink is brewed in the same way as coffee.
When okra is boiled, mucus is released. It enhances the flavor of soups and purees, but when frying and stewing, it is best to avoid this addition. It's easy to do: just add a little freshly squeezed tomato or lemon juice to the pan.
Interesting facts about okra
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, a wonderful Russian writer and doctor by education, not only recommended the use of okra to patients, but successfully cultivated the plant in his personal plot, trying to develop frost-resistant varieties.
Hollywood directors successfully advertise the plant. In one of the popular films for fans of science fiction - "Interstellar" - okra remained the only plant that remained on the earth. All other food crops became extinct.
In another film - "Bill, the hero of the Galaxy, on the planet of zombie vampires" - an astronaut gets on a spaceship in which all the crew members eat only okra.
In Ancient Greece and Egypt, her broth was used not so much for food as for cosmetic purposes. Noble ladies used it to strengthen their hair and treat acne. The recipe for the cosmetic is very simple: the pods are boiled so as to get the maximum amount of mucus. This mass is applied to the hair and face.
What to cook from okra - watch the video:
In national cuisines, southern peoples combine okra with rice, corn, chicken and fish. Why not try pairing exotic fruits with potatoes or green peas? Perhaps, the taste of the new dish will overshadow the already known culinary masterpieces.
