94th Week of BSI - OKRA - Announcing the event

Hello friends,


I am happy to announce to this wonderful event called BSI.  This was passed to me by my dear blogger friend, Sanyukta. Thanks sweet for considering me for this hosting.


BSI stands for Blogger Segret Ingredient and is started by Biz. The story behind this event is that each week the chosen host will pick up an ingredient of his/her choice which has not been chosen as BSI before. To participate in this event you need to send recipes using the chosen ingredients and at the end of the week the host announces the winner and passes on the event to the next host.

This week's ingredient is OKRA....

Okra contains vitamins A and C and is a good source of iron and calcium. It also contains starch, fat, ash, thiamine and riboflavin. No wonder, Cleopatra and Yang Guifei maintained their beauties.

For 1/2 cup sliced, cooked okra	For 1 cup raw okra
Calories – 25Dietary Fiber – 2 gramsProtein – 1.52 gramsCarbohydrates – 5.76 gramsVitamin A – 460 IUVitamin C – 13.04 mgFolic acid – 36.5 microgramsCalcium – 50.4 mgIron – 0.4 mgPotassium – 256.6 mgMagnesium – 46 mg	Calories – 33Fiber – 3.2gTotal Fat – 0.1gProtein – 2.0gCarbohydrate – 7.6gVitamin A – 660 IUVitamin C – 21mgFolate – 87.8mcgMagnesium – 57mg

Health Benefits of Okra

1. The superior fiber found in okra helps to stabilize the blood sugar by curbing the rate at which sugar is absorbed from the intestinal tract.
2. Okra's mucilage binds cholesterol and bile acid carrying toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver.
3. Okra helps lubricate the large intestines due to its bulk laxative qualities. The okra fiber absorbs water and ensures bulk in stools. This helps prevent and improve constipation. Unlike harsh wheat bran, which can irritate or injure the intestinal tract, okra's mucilage soothes, and okra facilitates elimination more comfortably by its slippery characteristic. Okra binds excess cholesterol and toxins (in bile acids). These, if not evacuated, will cause numerous health problems. Okra also assures easy passage out of waste from the body. Okra is completely non-toxic, non-habit forming, has no adverse side effects, is full of nutrients, and is economically within reach of most individuals unlike over-the-counter drugs.
4. Okra fiber is excellent for feeding the good bacteria (probiotics). This contributes to the health of the intestinal tract.
5. Okra is a supreme vegetable for those feeling weak, exhausted, and suffering from depression.
6. Okra is used for healing ulcers and to keep joints limber. It helps to neutralize acids, being very alkaline, and provides a temporary protective coating for the digestive tract.
7. Okra treats lung inflammation, sore throat, and irritable bowel syndrome.
8. Okra has been used successfully in experimental blood plasma replacements.
9. Okra is good for summer heat treatment.
10. Okra is good for constipation.
11. Okra is good in normalizing the blood sugar and cholesterol level.
12. Okra is good for asthma. Okra's vitamin C is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, which curtail the development of asthma symptoms.
13. Okra is good for atherosclerosis.
14. Okra is believed to protect some forms of cancer expansion, especially colorectal cancer.
15. Eating okra helps to support the structure of capillaries.
16. Some information shows that eating okra lowers the risk of cataracts.
17. Okra is good for preventing diabetes.
18. Okra protects you from pimples and maintains smooth and beautiful skin.

Whew !!! Aren't those a lot of reasons why we should be using OKRA in our cooking :)

How and When:

• Main or one of the ingredients of your recipe should be OKRA.
• Posting the logo is mandatory.
• Anyone can participate, you don't need to have a food blog to participate in this event.
• Non Bloggers can simply send me there entries with there name and detailed recipe @ priya.mitharwal@gmail.com.
• If you have an archived recipe,repost and send me the link.
• Please link your entries to this post.
• No Limit for no of entries.
• Last date to send entries is Sunday,12th September2010.

I will announce the winner on Sunday 12th September,2010 and also the name of the next host who would like to host the next weeks (95th Week) BSI.


Winner wil get a virtual card with his/her name.

Here are our previous hosts:

Week 93: Creative Sanyukta - Milk

Week 92:  Chilli & Chocolate - Pistachio

Week 91: The Southern Cookbook – Butter

Week 90: Recipe Rhapsody - Flour

(also: Quips, Travails and Braised Oxtails - Black Eyed Peas)

Week 89: Debbi Does Dinner Healthy - Ground Turkey

(also: Chacko’s Kitchen - Garbanzo Beans)

Week 88:  Hema – Onions

Week 87: Quips, Travails & Braised Oxtails – Black Eyed Peas

Week 86:  Making Good Choices – Applesauce

Week 85: Non-Dairy Queen - Raspberries

Week 84:  Healthy Exposures - Bulgar Wheat

Week 83:  Clarity in Creation – Peaches

Week 82: Mo’s Kitchen - Rice

Week 81: Waisting Duxie - Swiss Chard

Week 80: Fuss Free Flavours - Capers

Week 79:  Jenn Cuisine - Honey

Week 78: Living Free - Cashews

Week 77: Affairs of Living – Artichokes

Week 76:  One Frugal Foodie - Sunflower Seeds

Week 75: Part of the Whole - Beets

Week 74: Dinner at Christina’s - Sour Cream

Week 73: The Chef in My Head - Goat Cheese

Week 72: 5 Star Foodie - Asparagus

Week 71: Eats Well With Others – Carrots

Week 70: Burp and Slurp - Brussel Sprouts

Week 69:  Fun Fearless Foodie – Parmesan Cheese

Week: 68:  Natalie’s Killer Cuisine - Cocoa Powder

Week 67:  Eat, Live, Travel, Write - Lemon Zest

Week 66: Travel Eat Love - Coconut Milk

Week 65: Run Beans Run - Tofu

Week 64: Chicago Marathon Val - Mushrooms

Week 63: Biggest Diabetic Loser – Cheddar Cheese

Week 62: A Fit and Spicy Life – Balsamic Vinegar

Week 61: Peanut Butter Fingers - Nutmeg

Week 60:  Jenn Eats Nutritiously Now - Garlic

Week 59:  Home Cooked Em – Cinnamon

Week 58: The Balanced Broad – Flax

Week 57: Cookin Fanatic - Blue Cheese

Week 56:  Foodie in the City - Ricotta Cheese

Week 55:  Savvy Eats - Maple Syrup

Weel 54: Sound Eats - Dried Fruit

Week 53: Mega Nerd Runs - Acorn Squash

Week 52: Healthy Tipping Point - Pancake Mix

Week 51: Live, Laugh Eat - Almond Butter

Week 50: Balance, Joy and Delicias! – Cauliflower

Week 49: Healthy San Diego Living - Chickpeas

Week 48: Thought 4 Food - Yogurt

Week 47: London Foodie in New York - Chocolate

Week 46:  Johnstone’s Vin Blanc - Oats

Week 45: Guilty  Kitchen - Figs

Week 44: Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet - Peanut Butter

Week 43: The Sophisticated Gourmet - Brown Sugar

Week 42: My Kitchen Addiction – Lime

Week 41: Nutmeg Nanny – Coffee

Week 40: Chaya’s Comfy Cook – Broccoli

Week 39: Healthy Delicious – Plums

Week 38: Zoe - Feta

Week 37: ChezWhat- Potatoes

Week 36: Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice – Blueberries

Week 35: Girlichef -Greens

Week 34: The Ungourmet – Watermelon

Week 33: Bread + Butter – Bell Pepper

Week 32: Burp and Slurp -Corn

Week 31: Say Yes to Salad – Kabocha

Week 31 1/2: Simply Fabulous Now – Cherries

Week 30: Thinspired – Bananas

Week 29: To Be The Whole Package – Almonds

Week 28: Kristas Kravings – Lemon

Week 27: From French Fries To Flax Seeds – Coconut

Week 26: Plentiful Plants – Avocado

Week 25: Training Fuel – Eggs

Week 24: Dinner at Christina’s – Cabbage

Week 23: Hey What’s for Dinner, Mom? – Strawberries

Week 22: One Bite at a Time – Basil

Week 21: Just Sweet Enough – Black Beans

Week 20: What I Ate Yesterday – Kale

Week 19: What’s for Dinner – Orange

Week 18: BranAppetit! –Spinach

Week 17: Tales of Expansion Dates

Week 16: Biggest Diabetic Loser – Zucchini

Week 15: Sweet & Natural –Peppermint

Week 14: bella eats [and runs] – Ginger

Week 13: Coffee Talk – Walnuts

Week 12: For the Love of Oats – Pumpkin

Week 11: Trying to Heal – Sweet Potatoes

Week 10: The Inner Workings of a College Graduate – Eggplant

Week 9: Itzy’s Kitchen – Pears

Week 8: The Fitnessista – Cranberries

Week 7: Tri to Cook – Lentils

Week 6: Rhodey Girl Tests – Polenta

Week 5: Eating Bender – Butternut Squash

Week 4: Care to Eat – Apples

Week 3: On a Lobster Placemat – Mushrooms

Week 2: Hangry Pants – Tomatoes

Week 1: sportsnutritionliving – Quinoa


Please check below for all the mouth watering recipes with OKRA as a main ingredient. Thanks to all the blogger friends who participated and made this a success.


As a rule to this event, now I need to choose a winner. Let me tell you, it was very difficult as all 11 entries were better than the next one. But, this is one entry that took me by awe and I was super excited just to visually enjoy it and is the first one in my list to try it out of OKRA recipes that I will try. It is from my very good blogger friend Aipi called Paneer Bharvan Bhindi (Paneer stuffed Okra).  Please do visit her blog for all her wonderful and mouth watering recipes.


Aipi, please except this token of gesture from me. Please accept it.

Please do check this recipe and all other 10 mouth watering recipes.


Next host in BSI series is Ruchika Cooks with the star ingredient as PANEER (COTTAGE CHEESE). Please head over heals to her blog to check the event announcement and her vast collection of delicacies. Please send as many entries as you can. Happy hosting Ruchika :)

Keep cooking. That's all for now. Take care till next post.