Okra: Pakistan’s national vegetable

There are many summer vegetables but Okra (called as Bhindi in India and Pakistan) is the most favourite vegetable that people would like to eat perhaps every day. Okra or Bhindi is also known as lady’s finger due to its finger-like shape. Okra is a type of green vegetable with a small tip at the tapering end while its head shows a bulge which is often removed as inedible part.

One major characteristic of this vegetable is its internal stickness. People usually cut it into small round pieces or slice it into 4 halfs. Another way of cooking Okra or Bhindi is to cook it whole. In Punjab Pakistan people like to cook lady’s finger with mutton for making this vegetable more tasy. The taste of Okra is unique and it is the most favourite vegetable of children. Children love to eat Okra.

Bhindi is approximately 2 to 7 inches long and is famously known by its tiny white seeds and internal stickness.Okra’s is full of valuable nutrients and is considered a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, folacin, vitamin B and fibre. It is also a good natural source of magnesium, potassium and calcium. Fat-free and cholesterol-free okra is low in calories. Due to the extra foliate supplied by this vegetable doctors recommend it is beneficial for pregnent.

Okra is also rich in dietary fibres that help maintain sugar level in blood besides reducing cholesterol by binding along with bile acids. This vegetable (Okra or Bhindi) is comparable to taking statins, the drug that physians usually prescribe to patients suffering from high cholesterol or high fats in blood. While working inside the intestines, it eliminates the source of high fats in blood.

It will not be wrong to say that Okra is every family’s doctor as 50 per cent soluble fibre of okra helps reduce the risk of heart diseases. Whereas the other 50 per cent of the vegetable (insoluble fibre) is helpful in eradicating some forms of cancer. This amazing vegetable contains nearly 10 per cent of the recommended levels of vitamin B 6.

Ulcer is very common and painful disease in the world and amazingly this vegetable Okra as doctors say can be beneficial for ulcer patients. Unbelievably okra’s anti-ulcer impact is comparable to a standard drug misoprotol. Okra’s alkaline pH can also help cure gastro-intestinal ulcers by neutralising the digestive acids. Women on their advanced stage of pregnency eat boiled okra with salt for its healing effect for heartburn. According to doctors Okra is beneficial for pneumonia, bronchitis, urinary problems and tuberculosis of the lungs.

Lady’s finger is good for soups and stews. There are many recepies for cooking and eating Okra such as fried or boiled vegetable. Spicy Bhindi or Bhindi with mutton, etc.

Okra is considered as an ornamental plant for gardens due to its folige and bell-like yellow flowers with red centers. Now dasy with the facility of cold stores, Okra is available round the year but in summer’s peak season it is fresh and is tastier in eating. When grown from seed,

Okra’s foliage and bell-like yellow flowers with red centers make it an ornamental plant for gardens. It is available round the year with a peak season during summer. When grown from seed the plant becomes ready for harvest within sixty days of full summer.

Well-drained and fertile soil in full hot summer is the best for Okra’s best growth. Those who are interested in growing this vegetable should remember that usually soil pH does not make trouble for the plant as this vegetable okra nourishes well in soils slightly acidic to slightly alkaline.

Cold soils are not-supportive for Okra’s seeds. Always remember that the the seeds should be planted once the soil is warm in spring. Plant five to six okra seeds in a 12-inch pot. Take out two plants per pot after germination. Okra needs a long warm growing season.

Being a summer vegetable, Okra can sustain hot long hot season though watering must be on regular basis in extended dry weather. Okra’s plant needs moisture throughout the growing period. During flowering and pod development moisture is especially important. About one to two pounds of an all-purpose garden fertilizer should be applied before planting. And, on the beginning of harvesting a small amount of nitrogen should be sprinkled around each plant. Always remember while sprinkling nitrogen that only a small amount of nitrogen should be applied as heavy nitrogen applications may promote vegetative growth and reduce crop yield.

Okra’s plant grows up to six feet in height and the pods should be picked while they are tender and immature (2 to 3 inches long). It is important to note that Okra does not like to distribute its roots.

A clean and weed free area around okra plants is good for their growth. Don’t forget to remove weeds and grass close to the plant carefully by hand without damaging the roots. While watering the plant the soild should be soaked and not the plant as plants are susceptible to stem rot. Remember if plants are watered deeply the chances of yield to increase are bright. Good air circulation is also a must to reduce the potential for fruit rot problems.

Silver leaf whitefly, heliothis, stink bugs, rough bollworm, looper caterpillars and green vegetable bugs are some of the many insect pests that may attack okra. Aphids and mites are also okra’s enemies that may also occur on its crops. You can wash off aphids with a steady stream of water or sprayed with soap spray but stink bugs are more difficult to control. You can destroy them by picking with hands. Flowering and production may reduce if the pods/fruits are not picked on time and allowed to mature on the plant. To control the dense growth of the plant branch thinning or cutting off branches is necessary.

First pods of okra may become ready for harvest within two months after plantation. The Okra’s pods reach marketable size in about four to six days after flowering. A 3-5 inch long okra is considered healthy and tasty for consumption. On the other hand, if pods grow longer, they will become more fibrous and lower in quality and value. People usually don’t like to buy over-sized okra.

For okra, the post-harvest handling is very important and can never be ignoed. Handle pods with care to make avoid bruising. A few hours after rough handling bruises will turn black. Use of soft cotton gloes will be helpful to help prevent pod damage. Proper ventilation is a must for okra plants and that is why okra should not be stored in large bins or hampers since the pods will bleach due to lack of proper ventilation.

For pod’s safe storage the temperature should be 45°F (7°C) at a relative humidity of 90 to 95 per cent. The pods will turn yellow and start to decay at higher temperatures. It is advised to market okra immediately after harvesting as three per cent moisture losses will cause okra to appear wilt. Also don’t forget that storage shelf-life for the vegetable is seven to 10 days.

Usually okra needs the same storage conditions that green beans, cucumber, eggplant, peppers and squash require.