Segment: Okra
Episode: Spring 2019, Ep14
Presenter: Dr. Shy Vishnumohan
TX Date: 21st December 2019

Also known as Lady’s fingers or Bindhi, okra is a very interesting tropical vegetable. It belongs to the Mallow Family (same as cotton and hibiscus).

• If you want to know whether okra is ready to eat, push its tip forward. If it breaks open, it’s ready to go. You can eat the whole vegetable.
• Okra features in dishes from India to the United States. It’s a perfect addition to stir fries and gumbos.
• Infusion of roasted okra seeds has long been consumed in Turkey to treat diabetes. Lately the internet has been exploding with okra water to keep diabetes under control, although medical research is still preliminary and science is catching up.
• Okra has an impressive nutritional profile.  It is an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of fibre that can keep your gut and its bacteria happy.
• Okra loves the sun. You can plant it now and harvest it throughout summer when the pods are 3-4 inches long. If you let them get a bit longer, they can get tough and fibrous and lose their eating quality. Make sure to plant them 1 to 2 feet apart.
• Whether you have been gardening for your whole life or you just started, give okra a try: it is one of the easiest things to grow! You can buy the seedlings from the Swan Valley Nursery, a specialist edible plant grower from all your leading garden centres across the country.