Scroll to Recipes with Lady’s Finger or Okra / भिन्डी as ingredient

Abelmoschus esculentus, commonly known as Lady Finger, or Okra, is a flowering plant in the mallow family. Lady Finger is valued for its edible green seed pods.


India is the largest cultivator of lady’s fingers, contributing 73.25% of the world’s production. Okra or ladies’ finger is an essential vegetable of tropical countries and most popular in India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Cameroon, Iraq, and Ghana.

It is a vegetable of the plants that grow in tropical regions in warm climates. The plants are highly valued due to their green pods.  However, the origin of this plant is still debatable.

Commonly Known as

Language Name Written as
Arabic iisbae sayidatan اصبع سيدة
Bengali Bhadramahilā āṅula ভদ্রমহিলা আঙুল
Gujarati Bhīṇḍō ભીંડો
Kannada Beṇḍekāyi ಬೆಂಡೆಕಾಯಿ
Malayalam strī viral സ്ത്രീ വിരൽ
Hindi bhindee भिन्डी
Punjabi Isatarī uṅgala ਇਸਤਰੀ ਉਂਗਲ
Tamil Peṇ viral பெண் விரல்
Telugu Beṇḍa kāya బెండ కాయ
Urdu bhindee بھنڈی

Nutritional Profile of Lady Finger

Nutritional profile per 100 gms

  • Calories: 33
  • Protein: 1.9g
  • Carbohydrate: 7g
  • Fiber: 3.2g
  • Fat: 200mg
  • Sodium: 7mg
  • Potassium: 299mg

Source: USDA & Google

Benefits of Lady Finger

Antioxidants

Antioxidants are compounds that prevent free radicals and oxidative stress in your body. Lady Fingers are rich with these antioxidants and prevent several diseases and keep the heart-healthy.

Source: PubmedCentral

Helps Fights Cancer

Lectin is a protein that can inhibit the growth of human cancer cells. Okra contains a protein called lectin and hence helps in cancer prevention.

Source: PubmedCentral

Controls Sugar in Blood

Some research was done on diabetic rats. The rats that were made to eat okra were reported to reduce blood sugar and reduce diabetes.

Source: PubmedCentral

Beneficial for Pregnant women

Folate or Vitamin B9 is essential for a pregnant woman as it reduces the risk of neural tube defects. Okra is a good folate source, with 100 grams providing 15% of a woman’s daily needs for this nutrient.

Source: PubmedCentral

Side Effects of Lady Finger

Metformin is a drug that is used to regulate sugar levels in our blood. Okra interrupts with its functioning and nullifies the effects. So the people who are taking this medicine should not eat okra. Okra also has more number of oxalates that bind with kidney stones and may damage the kidney.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Okra and Lady Finger Same?

Yes. Okra is the name used for bhindi or lady’s finger. Okra resembles the shape of a lady’s finger. It is long, curved, and tapered at the end—very much like a ladyfinger.

Can you eat Okra or Lady’s Finger raw?

Yes, okra can be eaten raw. Rawer is more beneficial.

What is Okra?

The botanical name for okra is Abelmoschus esculentus, but it is most commonly known as lady’s finger in English.

Which part of Okra is edible?

All of the parts of the Okra plant are edible. The immature, tender seed pods are the part that is the most consumed.