Namaskaram my beautiful people! 🙏
My previous video on Custard Apple received a heart-warming 100+ views and total subscribers reached 20. Though a small number to many, it is certainly a huge encouragement for me 💜
My love for Okra/Ladyfinger/Vendaka/Bindi started when I was transitioning to a plant-based diet. In a plant-based diet, you need to avoid foods that don't come from plants and are processed. Naturally, I was missing milk, cheese, and butter. That's where Okra came in. This finger-looking long vegetable is very buttery when harvested at the right time and cooked properly. (Shown in my video)
The sticky sap might put some people off a surprising fact that many people don't know is that it is actually nature's very own band-aid. The sticky sap contains antioxidants, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer as well as anti-inflammatory properties.
In this post, let's talk about-
- Harvesting okra at the right time
- Growing okra
- A traditional Keralite recipe
1. Harvesting okra at the right time - Okra needs to be harvested when young; their tenderness can be tested by pressing them gently. This test can even be done when you buy from the grocery store. Alternatively you can also try to break the tip of the ladyfinger. If it breaks cleanly- it's young, if it simply flexes then it's too mature. Unfortunately, harvesting the okra at the right time isn't enough! Storing them for too long also causes the okra to mature. If the okra is found to be too mature, better let it grow out and dry on the plant. You can then harvest the ladyfinger for its seeds.
2. Growing Okra - In the video, I have shown my two varieties of okra plants. Bought both these plants around 4-5 months ago at the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown and got some saplings from my neighbour. The last harvest was my third harvest. I have two Dwarf varieties and four types of Go-Big variety. You can grow Okra in grow bags, terrace, balcony, pretty much anywhere you like. Okra needs to be grown from seeds or saplings. The method of harvesting has been discussed above. The plant requires a good amount of sunlight and can be harvested all year round.
3. Okra recipe - This Keralite recipe is called "Vendaka Thoran". For this recipe, you need a good amount of ladyfinger, two handfuls of coconut shavings, two medium tomatoes, two medium onions, a pinch of turmeric powder, half tbsp chili powder, salt according to your taste, and Green chilli (optional). Slice the ladyfinger thin and round for this recipe. Watch the video below.
- Add two tbsp of cooking oil
- Caramelise the onions, pinch of salt helps.
- Add tomatoes and chili.
- Add turmeric powder, chili powder, more salt.
- Add ladyfinger and cook until its almost soft.
- Add Coconut shavings and cook until the ladyfinger is soft.
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