Okra, also known as “lady’s fingers” and “gumbo,” is a green flowering plant. Okra belongs to the same plant family as hibiscus and cotton. The term “okra” most commonly refers to the edible seedpods of the plant. In India, it is known by the names vendakkai (alternatively bendakkai) and bhindi.
Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Mashed Okra with Beef Recipe
How do you cook fresh okra? Try this quick and easy fresh okra recipe.
The pharaonic name for okra mentioned in the Harris papyrus is bano. Gaston Maspero, the French Egyptologist, briefly mentions finding the remains of this plant.
Okra now is one of the most commonly eaten dishes in Egypt, and is cooked in several ways. Weeka okra, a popular Upper Egyptian dish, requires the use of a mefraak to mash the vegetables; a method that itself extends from pharaonic times.
This adapted version of healthy okra recipe is the world’s oldest okra and beef recipe ever recorded in ancient Egypt.
This fresh okra dish is serves in a typical Nubian banquet.
Here is a good example of a Nubian banquet composed of dishes that would have existed a very short time after the pharaonic era.
This menu consists of okra with beef, pickled palm tree pith, roqaq, roasted yam, crocodile date loaf, barley porridge, barley beer, boiled cardamom with cloves. Salt and fruit sugar were placed at any dining table for guests to season or sweeten their food.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
1 kg large fresh okra (cut into small pieces)
3 tbsp ghee
1 onion
1/2 kg beef, cubed (You can use chicken or pork if you want.)
2 1/2 liters meat broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp dried coriander
COOKING PROCEDURE:
1) Wash okra and place in a sieve to dry. Cut into small pieces and lightly sauté in 1 tbsp ghee. Remove okra and drain in a sieve.
2) Grate onion and sauté in 1 tbsp ghee until golden yellow. Add beef cubes and stir a few minutes. Add broth, cover and simmer until meat is half cooked.
3) Add okra, salt, and pepper and simmer over medium heat until fully cooked.
4) Mince garlic and coriander and sauté in the remaining tablespoon of ghee. Sprinkle over dish. Serve.
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How do you clean fresh okra to remove the slime?
An easy trick for reducing sliminess is to soak the okra in vinegar before cooking it.
1. Empty half a cup of vinegar into a bowl for every 500 g (1 lb) of okra.
2. Lightly swish the vinegar over the okra to coat all okra in the bowl.
3. Leave for 30 minutes to soak in the vinegar.
4. Remove the okra and rinse well. Dry and use as recommended by the okra recipe.
How do cook okra without the slime?
Learn is the best way to eat okra without the slime.
This is how to stop okra from becoming slimy during cooking. You can pre-cook okra at very high heat by sautéing, roasting, blanching or grilling. Then add cooked okra to your recipe and there will be hardly any slime at all.
RELATED POST: How to Cook Okra Without The Slime? - 15 Slime-Free Okra Recipes
How do you keep okra fresh longer?
To store okra in the fridge, wrap them in a paper towel or place inside a paper bag, and store in the vegetable drawer.
Do not wash fresh okra until you are ready to use it.
How long can you store fresh okra?
Store fresh okra in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
For longer storage, okra may be frozen.
In the freezer, if properly packaged, whole okra will keep for at least two to three months without risk of freezer burn.
Before freezing and blanching, trim the stem ends (do not cut into the pod when you trim).
To freeze okra, blanch the whole pods in boiling water -- dip them in a pot of boiling water for no more than one minute or more, depending on the size of the pods. Cool the pods quickly in the ice water.
OKRA NUTRITION: Is okra good for you?
Okra has long been preferred as a food for the health-conscious. It is full of vitamin C, vitamin B, potassium, calcium and folic acid. It’s low in calories and has high dietary fiber content. You should consider including okra in your diet to get these health benefits.
Okra is fast gaining a reputation as a so-called 'super food' for people with or at risk of diabetes or cancer.
Okra has been suggested to help lower blood sugar in cases of type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes.
RELATED POST: How to Start a High Fiber Diet? - FAST, EASY and EFFECTIVE
What's behind the effect of eating okra to lose weight?
Benefits of okra for weight loss: The superior insoluble fibre contained in okra is believed to help stabilize blood glucose by slowing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.
RELATED POST: How Does Eating Fiber Help You Lose Weight?
Okra Nutrient Composition
Raw okra is 90% water, 2% protein, 7% carbohydrates and negligible in fat. In a 100 gram amount, raw okra is rich (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) in dietary fiber, vitamin C and vitamin K, with moderate contents of thiamin, folate and magnesium.
Raw Fresh Okra
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Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
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Energy
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138 kJ (33 kcal)
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Carbohydrates
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7.46 g
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Sugars
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1.48 g
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Dietary fibre
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3.3 g
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Fat
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0.19 g
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Protein
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1.9 g
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Vitamins
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Quantity % DV
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Vitamin A equiv.
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36 μg
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5%
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Thiamine (B1)
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0.2 mg
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17%
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Riboflavin (B2)
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0.06 mg
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5%
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Niacin (B3)
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1 mg
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7%
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Folate (B9)
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60 μg
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15%
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Vitamin C
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23 mg
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28%
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Vitamin E
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0.27 mg
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2%
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Vitamin K
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31.3 μg
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30%
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Minerals
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Quantity % DV
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Calcium
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82 mg
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8%
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Iron
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0.62 mg
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5%
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Magnesium
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57 mg
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16%
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Phosphorus
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61 mg
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9%
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Potassium
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299 mg
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6%
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Zinc
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0.58 mg
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6%
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Other constituents
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Quantity
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Water
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89.6 g
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Units:
μg = micrograms
mg = milligrams
IU = International units
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Percentages are roughly approximated using USA recommendations for
adults.
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REFERENCES:
Anany, Abeer. The Kitchen in Ancient Egypt from the Archaic Period until the
End of the New Kingdom. Unpublished PhD dissertation, Cairo University.
Christine Hobson. 1993. EXPLORING THE WORLD OF THE PHARAOHS: A Complete Guide to Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. ISBN-10: 0500275602. ASIN: B004461SSE
Magda Mehdawy. 2017. The Pharaoh's Kitchen: Recipes from Ancient Egypt’s Enduring Food Traditions. The American University in Cairo Press. ISBN-13: 978-9774168130
National Research Council, Policy and Global Affairs, Development, Security, and Cooperation. 2006. Lost Crops of Africa: Volume II: Vegetables. National Academies Press. ISBN-10: 0309103339
