Also Known As
Okra, Bhindi, Bhinda.

What is ladies finger, bhindi, okra, bhinda, lady finger?

Okra is a type of green vegetable, long finger like, having a small tip at the tapering end. Its head shows a bulge, lighter green in shade, which is often removed as inedible portion. The cross section cut okra shows white colored round seeds spread entirely inside the vegetable. One of the peculiar signs of this vegetable is the internal stickiness. The lady's finger may be cut in to round pieces or sliced in to 4 halfes or may be put whole in a mix vegetable subji. The taste is very specific to the vegetable and generally liked by children.

Deseeded ladies finger, Bhindi

Wash and clean the vegetable with a clean cloth. Remove a portion of its two extremes, which are inedible. Hold it in a horizontal position and cut into two halves. Now gently remove all the seeds. You may further slit it or let it remain into halves as per the recipe.

Chopped ladies finger

To prepare lady's finger subji, you need to cut them into rounds. Wash and clean the vegetable with a clean cloth. Remove a portion of its two extremes, which are inedible. Hold it in a horizontal position and start cutting in around 1 inch diameter from one end to the other. It is fine if the seeds enter the chopped vegetable as these are edible. Check for any worm or insect infestation. It may be roughly chopped or you may even finele chop it depending on the recipe by altering the diameter accordingly.

Diagonally cut ladies finger

Wash and clean the vegetable with a clean cloth. Remove a portion of its two extremes, which are inedible. Hold it in a horizontal position and cut it diagonally at required intervals.

Sliced ladies finger

Wash and clean the vegetable with a clean cloth. Remove a portion of its two extremes, which are inedible. Hold it in a horizontal position and cut into two halves. Again slit into two more halves. It is fine if the seeds enter the chopped vegetable as these are edible. Check for any worm or insect infestation. It may be thickly sliced or you may even thinly slice it depending on the recipe by altering the slits accordingly.

How to select ladies finger, bhindi, okra, bhinda, lady finger

Lady's finger is a common vegetable, especially in India. You can get in all vegetable markets locally as well as in food malls or supermarkets. Its price is almost similar to other vegetables. Choose the fresh looking long, dark green colored ones. Avoid buying those, which have blemishes, bruises and cuts or leeked internal skickiness, which might happen during transportation. Always go for medium diameter ones, not too long, because bulgy lady's finger have very big seeds within, which spoil the delicacy of this vegetable. Avoid the shrinked okra, which happens due to moisture loss on storage. Check for any worm or insect infestation.

Culinary Uses of ladies finger, bhindi, okra, bhinda, lady finger in Indian Cooking

· Lady's finger is one of the mouth watering vegetables, due to its great palatability to make tasty Bhindi masala with gravy , Dahi bhindi in Kerala sytle subzis.

· It can be cooked as a subji, a part of the Main course with Bhindi. It can be savored with phulkas or rotis and with plain rice and dal too.

· You can deep fry the bhindi and savor it as a starter. Try Bhindi Pakoda and Crispy Masala Bhindi as a starter in your meal.

· Lady's finger can be used in delicious Sambhar along with mix vegetables for your South Indian Idlis and Dosas. It can also be added in sambhar instead of pumpkin.

· Try making yummy kadhi, Sindhi Kadhi with Bhindi. You will be surely praised by your family members for quick and easy Stir-fry Bhindi with peanuts subzi.

· You can fry the Bhindi till it gets crispy and then use it to make a tasty, calcium rich Bhindi Raita. You will enjoy it with Pulaos or Biryanis or just with Parathas or Theplas.

· Make Healthy heart friendly Bhindi subzis like Pyazwali bhindi and Bhindi Masala for those who keep watch on their calorie level.

How to store ladies finger, bhindi, okra, bhinda, lady finger

Lady's finger remains in good condition only for around 2 days at room temperature. There are chances of moisture loss, hence it should be stored under refrigeration temperature with relative humidity of 80-90 %. You can wash, clean and store it as a whole or may cut it into desired pieces and store in a net bag under refrigeration. Its freshness will fast for 4-5 days.

Health benefits of ladies finger, bhindi, okra, bhinda, lady finger

The B9 (vitamin Folate) present in lady finger is required in blood RBC production. There are also fair amounts of Vitamin C, which boosts immunity. There are good amounts for dietary fiber present in bhindi and hence good for diabetics and weight loss. It lowers cholesterol and good for heart. See the 10 amazing benefits of lady finger. For complete Health Benefits of Ladies Finger, Bhindi read this article.

Nutrition Information for Lady Finger, Bhindi, Okra

Nutritional Information for One Cup of Chopped Lady Finger

One Cup of Chopped Lady Finger is 70 grams.

RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.

24 Calories

1.33 grams of Protein

4.48 grams of Carbs

0.14 grams of Fat

73.50 mcg of Folic Acid = 36.75% of RDA (about 200 mcg)

9.10 mg Vitamin C = 22.75% of RDA (about 40 mg)

15.04 mcg of Vitamin K = 12.53 % of RDA (about 120 mcg)

37.10 mg of Magnesium (Mg) = 10.60% of RDA (about 350 mg)

2.52 grams of Fibre = 10.08% of RDA (about 25 grams)

0.18 mg of Vitamin B6, Pyridoxine = 9.0% of RDA (about 2 mg)

46.2 mg of Calcium (Ca) = 7.70% of RDA (about 600 mg)

39.20 mg of Phosphorus (P) = 6.53% of RDA (about 600 mg)

0.07 mg of Vitamin B2, Riboflavin = 6.36% of RDA (about 1.1 mg)

0.42 mg of Vitamin B3, Niacin = 3.50% of RDA (about 12 mg)

0.04 mg of Vitamin B1, Thiamine = 3.33% of RDA (about 1.2 to 1.5 mg)

0.28 mg of Zinc (Zn) = 2.80% of RDA (about 10 to 12 mg)

0.35 mg Vitamin E = 1.75% of RDA (about 20 mg)

72.1 mg of Potassium (K) = 1.53% of RDA (about 4,700 mg)

0.24 mg of Iron (Fe) = 1.14% of RDA (about 21 mg)

4.83 mg of Sodium (Na) = 0.25% of RDA (about 1902 mg)

Glycemic Index of Lady Finger, Bhindi

Bhindi has a Glycemic Index of 20 which is low. Glycemic Index are for foods you eat, ranks carbohydrate-containing foods by how quickly they digest and raise your blood sugar or glucose levels. Foods rank from 0 to 50 are low GI, 51 to 69 are medium and 70 to 100 are high. Foods that are high in GI are not suitable for weight loss and diabetics. Foods like Bhindi have a low GI and hence don't spike your glucose level as they are absorbed slowly. Great for weight loss and diabetics.