Okra with ginger, chilli and miso dressing

SLIME is good… okra slime, that is. While some may shun this vegetable, which we know better as ladies fingers, for its slippery qualities, did you know that this mucus actually soothes the intestinal tract and, how do I say it, helps with body eliminations?

"Picture provided by SPH"

Indeed it is a source of superior fibre, according to nutritionist Ms. Sylvia Zook from the University of Illinois.

She says that the vegetable helps to stabilise blood sugar as it curbs the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.

And its slippery slime not only binds excess cholesterol and toxins, but also assures their easy passage from the body.

Native to tropical Africa, it grows easily in our gardens. And the vegetable is used freely in India, Indonesia, where it is called bendi, and is also found in Creole recipes.

I like it stir-fried in sambal or as a salad topped with sambal chilli. I like it so much that I also add it to curries and stews. Indeed the Creole gumbo, relies specifically on its slippery qualities to thicken the broth.

But for maximum nutrition, okra ought to be lightly cooked or even eaten raw! So salads are best. Pick the young pods, small and fresh.

This family favourite is eaten cold, uses a Japanese miso dressing and adds fresh shredded ginger and chilli to enliven the taste.

I find it a beguiling addition to the table when I need an Asian salad that does not take too much effort. Indeed it can be cooked beforehand, left in the fridge, assembled and dressed just before serving.

And this is not the only advantage – like I said before, okra is good for us.

Ingredients:

Ladies’ fingers with ginger, chili and miso dressing (For 4)

• 400-500 g young ladies fingers (also known as okra or bendi)
• 4-5 shallots, sliced
• 2-3 red chillies, sliced
• 2 thumb-sized knobs of ginger, shredded

Dressing:

• 1 1/2 Tbs white miso paste (available from the fridge section of supermarkets)
• Juice from 4 limes or more according to taste
• Half cup of rice wine
• 1 tsp sugar or according to taste

Method:

1. Heat a pot of water and when boiling, add the okra, either whole or cut into half if the pods are large. Cook for three minutes or so. Drain and plunge the pods into cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and chill.
2. Peel and slice thinly the shallots. Peel and shred finely the ginger, slice the chillies.
3. Make up the dressing by thinning down the miso paste with lime juice and rice wine. Add sugar. Taste and adjust seasoning with either more sugar or chilled water. The dressing should be a slightly sweet thick sauce.
4. To serve, place chilled ladies’ fingers on a plate, pour over dressing and top with red chilli, ginger and shallots.