Okra (bhindi): nutrition per 100 g

1. 01

   Calcium ranks 2nd of 39

   Okra carries 86 mg calcium per 100 g, 69th of 242 foods and 2nd among vegetables. That is about 9 per cent of the adult requirement, a useful extra from a vegetable eaten so often.

2. 02

   Folate and vitamin B6

   Each 100 g supplies 64 micrograms of folate, 3rd of 39 vegetables, and 0.27 mg vitamin B6. A 100 g plate of bhindi gives a woman 29 per cent of her folate requirement.

3. 03

   Magnesium and fibre

   With 66 mg magnesium, 4th among vegetables, and 4.1 g fibre per 100 g, okra is filling. Its soluble fibre is what makes it slippery and helps slow digestion.

4. 04

   Vitamin C and vitamin E

   Okra has 22.5 mg vitamin C, 35 per cent of a woman's daily need, and 0.48 mg vitamin E per 100 g. Quick stir-frying keeps more vitamin C than long stewing.

Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.

• Bhindi masala: okra cooked in an open pan until no longer sticky, then tossed with onion, tomato and dry spices.
• Bharwan bhindi: slit okra stuffed with besan, amchur, fennel and red chilli and roasted in a covered pan.
• Vendakkai puli kuzhambu in Tamil Nadu: okra in a tangy tamarind and sambar powder gravy.
• Bhindi kadhi in Sindhi and Gujarati homes: fried okra simmered in a gram flour and curd kadhi.
• Bendakaya vepudu in Andhra Pradesh: thin rounds stir-fried crisp with chilli, garlic and peanut powder.

To keep okra from turning slimy, wash it whole and dry it completely before cutting, cook it in an open pan without a lid, and add sour ingredients such as amchur, tomato or tamarind towards the end. The slime itself is soluble fibre and is not harmful. Kurkuri bhindi and fried bhindi are tasty but soak up a lot of oil, so enjoy them as a side rather than the main dish. Choose tender pods that snap cleanly at the tip; tough ones are fibrous.

Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.

• Cluster beans (gawar)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Brinjal (baingan)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• French beans

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Ivy gourd (kundru)

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

• Tomato

  Nutrition per 100 g, from IFCT 2017.

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