Tropical and subtropical vegetables (2+1)

Economic importance and uses

• Okra is more remunerative than the leafy vegetables. Fresh okra fruits are important and used as vegetable in India, Brazil, West Africa and many other countries. For year round consumption sun dried (Africa, India), frozen and sterilized (USA) fruits are also important market products. Tender green fruits are cooked in curry and also used in soups. The root and stem are useful for clearing cane juice in preparation of jaggery. Its ripe seeds are roasted, ground and used as a substitute for coffee in Turkey. Matured fruits and stems containing crude fibre are used in the paper industry.
• Okra is rich in vitamins, calcium, potassium and other minerals. 100g consumable unripe bhendi fruits contain 10.4g dry matter, 3,100 calorie energy, 1.8g protein, 90mg calcium, 1.0mg iron, 0.1mg carotene, 0.07mg thiamin, 0.08mg riboflavin, 0.08mg niacin and 18 mg vitamin C. The dry seeds contain 13-22% edible oil and 20-24% protein. The seed cake is also used as an animal feed.