• English: Okra/Okro, lady’s fingers, bhindi, gumbo
  • Scientific name: Abelmoschus esculentus Moench
  • Nigerian Igbo: ọkwurụ
  • Bantu: kingombo
  • Portuguese: quiabo
  • Spanish: quimbombó, guigambó
  • French: gombo
  • Arabic: bamia
  • Hindi: bhindi
  • Bengali: dherosh
  • Tamil: vendai kai
  • Bahasa melayu: Bendi
  • Thai: กระเจี๊ยบเขียว
  • Vietnamese: Đậu bắp
  • Chinese: 秋葵

Okras are edible green seed pods of a tropical and subtropical plant, its place of origin is probably in Nigeria.

Used extensively in African, Middle Eastern, South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine, okras are highly valued for its slimy juices and crunchy seeds when cooked, hence they are often used in curries and stews. The exterior of okras can be slightly furry but these do not affect the texture when cooked. Different varieties of okras have emerged, such as red okras.

Want to try out an okra recipe? How about my Singaporean fishhead curry?!