HOW TO STIR FRY OKRA PERFECTLY and HEALTHY BENEFITS

Okra, which biologically is a fruit contains protein, Vitamins C, A, K, B6, Mangnesium etc is used as one would use vegetables  in most African and South Asian countries. 

In the Ewe tribe from Ghana, Okra soup is a traditional dish made with either Fish, Chicken, Meat, SeaFood or Vegetables.

The soup can be made with or without oil and it’s a favourite amongst most Ghanaians and Nigerians.

Over the years the consumption of Okra has increased which means it’s readily available in most grocery shops and supermarkets across the UK. 

The benefits of including Okra in your daily diet includes;

1. Weight loss - Okra promotes weight loss due to its high fibre content which keeps you fuller for longer; it also helps lower your sugar and cholesterol levels.
2. Fibre - Okra’s fibre and mucilaginous structure helps relieves constipation and stomach illnesses such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and indigestion 
3. Blood pressure- Okra is rich in Magnesium which helps regulates your blood pressure levels. A perfect reason to enjoy it daily.
4. Okra is rich in the protein Lectin (which fights against breast cancer) and Folate which prevents the risks of most cancers.
5. Okra is packed with antioxidants which means it removes toxins from your bodies, aids in reversing skin damage, slows down the ageing process and promotes a youthful skin

With these amazing benefits of Okra it’s fair to say it’s a power house ingredient that needs to be enjoyed daily.

OKRA SOUP RECIPE 👇🏾

INGREDIENTS 

450g of chopped Okra

2 large Shallots or any Onion of your choice 

4 finely diced fresh chillies

6 cloves of finely chopped Garlic

1 teaspoonful of grated Ginger

2 tablespoonfuls of your preferred oil 

2 tablespoonfuls of Dark Soy Sauce (optional). You can replace the dark soy sauce with Dawadawa (fermented locust beans) or Fish sauce

Salt to taste

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare this healthy Okra recipe below;

Please don’t forget to subscribe, like the video, leave comments and share. 

All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog. 

THE HEALTHIEST GHANAIAN VILLAGE OKRO SOUP RECIPE

Hearing how expensive groceries are in #Ghana I created this recipe to give everyone the chance to eat nutritious dishes to boost their immune system. 

For the lucky ones who are able to put food on their table, do share a bowl with a neighbour who might be struggling by their door. 

To prepare the  healthiest Okro soup recipe served with steamed #Ghanaian Brown rice ball, you’ll need the following ingredients;

INGREDIENTS 

300g of chopped Okra

2 large Onions

40g of  Ginger

3 thinly sliced cloves of Garlic

250g of smoked fried Herrings

1 litre of Water

70g of smoked Shrimps

2-3 Habanero chillies or Kasoa Pepper

1 tablespoonful of Keta School Boys (sun-dried Anchovies)

Salt to taste

BROWN RICE BALL

250g of Brown Rice flour

350 ml of water

Salt to taste

How about this Gluten free lightly fermented steamed corn ball?

METHOD 

Watch how to prepare this healthy Okro soup recipe below;

Don’t forget to subscribe, try the recipe, leave comments with your feedback and share.

All photos, recipes and videos are by the owner of this blog.

PAN FRIED OKRA & SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

Breakfast or brunch should always be rewarding, especially on Sundays; before the start of a hectic week. 

It's a norm in my household to either bake , create a recipe or treat ourselves to a decadent meal. 

This is an African & Asian inspired brunch that mixes Okra and Shitake mushrooms together. 

When I posted the picture of this brunch on my Instagram page, the reaction was of intrigue and curiosity. 

Comments from my Instagram page;

'Please look at this combo', 'Interesting', 'I never thought Okra, could be eaten this way, SMH, interesting'. 

Okra, when used in African dishes, are cooked to increase it's mucilagenous (goo texture) by adding water, stock, edible potash, bicarbonate of soda etc; whereby in most Asian dishes, they're fried to prevent activating its mucilage texture . 

Okra are also known as bhindi, ladies fingers, Fetri, Okro or Gumbo. Okra is rich in potassium, calcium, folate, Vitamin C and a great antioxidant. 

Try this easy to follow recipe,  leave a comment, share and subscribe to my blog and YouTube page 'Ndudu by Fafa'.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

24 sliced individual Okra

2 finely diced Banana shallots

2 sliced Jalapeño peppers 

2 cloves of peeled and sliced Garlic

2 tablespoonfuls of extra virgin Olive oil

400g of fresh Shitake mushrooms 

8 refrigerated eggs

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

Bresaola(An Italian air dried salted beef, thats aged for 3 months)

You can replace the Bresaola with smoky bacon).

150ml of light olive oil (for frying)

Freshly milled Guinea Pepper / Black peppercorns

Salt to taste

Guinea Pepper or Grains of Paradise

Method:

Place a frying pan on a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of Olive oil 

Add half the finely diced shallot and fry for a minute. 

Shitake Mushrooms

Add the garlic, stir and add the mushrooms. 

Stir fry the mushrooms for about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh thyme , a pinch of the milled Guinea pepper and salt. Stir fry for 45 seconds and take off the heat. 

Transfer the contents to a plate and return the frying pan to the fire. 

Still on a medium heat, add the remaining finely diced shallot and stir. 

Just when it starts to brown, add the sliced Okra, Jalapeño peppers, Cumin seeds and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. 

Add salt to taste , sprinkle with freshly milled Guinea Pepper and set aside. 

Fried Eggs

Preheat the grill to 180*c 

Place the Bresaola on a baking tray and transfer to the preheated grill. 

Grill for 2-3 minutes or until crispy. 

Wipe the frying Pan and place it back on the fire at a very low setting. 

Take your eggs out of the fridge and crack each egg into the frying pan. 

Fry gently (on the lowest setting) for 4 minutes for a perfect runny yolk or (longer if you prefer a hardened yolk). However, this recipe requires the yolk to be runny, as it'll act as sauce to the dish.  

Tip

Applies to fried eggs only

Placing the egg in the fridge, allows the egg white to wrap around the yolk, when frying (as shown above).

To serve;

Scoop some of the Mushroom mix into a bowl and spread to the sides of the bowl. 

Then scoop some of the Okra mix and spread evenly.

Lay a crispy Bresaola on top of the vegetable mix. 

Carefully place a fried egg on top of the Bresaola.

Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. 

Tip;

Try buying Olive oil made from 'Arbequina' Olives. It gives the Olive oil an aromatic taste and it's delicious. I tasted this olive oil for the first time at, 'Restaurante Elkano' , Getaria, in Spain. 

I found a 500ml bottle at Waitrose for £16.00. (Safe to say , I use it sparingly). 

Sprinkle a pinch of freshly milled Guinea pepper(careful not to add to much, as it's rather spicy).

Alternatively , sprinkle with freshly milled black peppercorns.

Serve with freshly baked Baguette, Sour dough bread or Ciabatta. 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. 

OIL FREE OKRA SOUP

After a rather stressful day, I craved for a smoky, spicy and nutritious soup. The thought of a quick fresh Okra soup got my taste buds tingling. A quick dash to my local grocers and fishmonger helped with stocking on Okra, Seabream and smoked Cod.  Within few minutes of uploading images to my Instagram and Facebook page,  have I been asked for the recipe. Here you go, enjoy.

Ingredients;

500g of chopped fresh Okra

800ml of Chicken / Vegetable stock / water.

2 large finely diced red onions

30g of grated ginger

1 large habanero chilli

1 shrimp stock cube (optional)

1 clove of crushed garlic 

Smoked Cod or Smoked Tilapia, cut into chunks 

2 medium sized Sea bream, Red Snapper or Mackerel  (cut in half and grilled for 12 minutes ) 

400g of blanched chopped Spinach or Cocoyam leaves

1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda 

To blanch the Spinach /Cocoyam leaves (Kontomire)

Add water to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add your washed Cocoyam leaves (Kontomire), stir till it's  fully  incorporated into the hot water. Cook for 4 minutes and strain using a colander.

Using Spinach

Once the water is boiled, turn the heat off, then add the Spinach. Stir the washed Spinach (using a wooden spoon) into the hot water for 30 seconds. Use a colander to strain off the hot water. 

Once you've followed the above instructions for cooking the Spinach or Cocoyam leaves (Kontomire) 

 run your respective choice  under very cold water, ( this stops the Cocoyam leaves (Kontomire) or Spinach from cooking further and to keep it's green colour). 

Method;

Place a saucepan on a medium heat.  Add the chicken stock and bring it to the boil.  (recipe for homemade Chicken stock is available on my blog). You can use any stock of your choosing or water.

Add the chopped onions , ginger and garlic and cook for 4 minutes 

Add the chopped Okra, stir and cook for 2 minutes 

Add the bicarbonate soda , stock cube, half a teaspoon of salt and mix well. 

Add your preferred fish and cook for  5 minutes 

Add your chopped blanched Spinach, stir and cook for 3 minutes. 

Turn the heat off and leave to rest or 3 minutes before serving. 

I enjoyed this on it's own, however try it with steamed rice , Banku (A Ghanaian steamed dumpling ball made from fermented corn and cassava), Akple ( made from milled sun dried corn) or Kenkey. 

You can substitute the fish for Poultry and meat.  

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog. 

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