CATALEYA Gbamougou okra powder is okra that has been dried and then ground, to be diluted in a little water before adding it to sauces and soups to give them the binding texture typical of okra cooking. 100 g bag, for West and Central African sauces.
What is Gbamougou okra powder?
In Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon, gbamougou refers to okra (gombo) that has been dried and then reduced to a fine powder. Okra is the fruit of a plant from warm regions, Abelmoschus esculentus, of the mallow family, the same family as hibiscus. The pod is eaten, picked young; inside, small seeds are bathed in mucilage, a soluble fibre which, on contact with heat and water, gives okra its slippery texture. Dried and then ground, it regains this binding texture once rehydrated: it is a natural thickener for simmered sauces.
What is the French name for okra?
Gombo is the French name, and the most common one in West Africa and the Antilles. The same vegetable is called okra or okro in English-speaking countries, kandia in Wolof in Senegal, bamia or bamya in the Near East and the Mediterranean. Dried, in pieces or as a powder, it becomes gbamougou or djoumblé in Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon. Louisiana gumbo, which refers to both the vegetable and the dish, comes from a Bantu word.
How to use okra powder?
- Dilute the powder in a little cold or lukewarm water before adding it to a hot preparation, to avoid lumps.
- Stir it into the sauce or soup during cooking and mix well: the thickening develops as it simmers.
- Start with a small amount, as the powder is more concentrated than fresh okra, taste, then adjust according to the consistency you want.
Like any dried vegetable, it must cook with the rest of the dish.
In which dishes?
Okra powder serves as the base for okra sauce, Senegalese kandia soup with palm oil and smoked fish, Congolese chicken moambe, rice pilaf with okra and Antillean calalou. In Ghana, an okra sauce accompanies banku; in West Africa, it is eaten with foufou. The article how to incorporate okra into your dishes also explains how to cook fresh okra, with or without its stringy texture.
Powder or djoumblé: which one to choose?
Both are dried okra. Gbamougou powder, already ground, can be stirred straight into liquid and binds a sauce in a few minutes: it is the most practical for everyday use. CATALEYA djoumblé is the same dried okra in pieces, to be rehydrated in a little hot water: it leaves visible pieces in the sauce. The okra and sauce thickeners section brings together the other thickeners in the catalogue, such as ogbono.
What does okra taste like?
Okra has a subtle vegetal taste, similar to green beans or aubergine. It is above all its texture, mucilaginous once cooked, that sets it apart. Ground into powder, it brings little flavour and a lot of binding power: it thickens the sauce without overpowering it, and takes on the flavour of the smoked fish, palm oil or stock it cooks with.
How to store okra powder?
Away from heat, light and moisture, in the tightly resealed bag or in an airtight container once the bag has been opened.
What to pair it with?
For a kandia soup: MAMA FUTA palm oil, NUMBER ONE smoked catfish and a touch of soumbara. To serve it with: RACINES foufou or TERRAFRICA banku flour. All the okra in the catalogue: the okra section.
Product information
- Brand: CATALEYA
- Net weight: 100 g, fine powder
- Ingredients: dried and ground okra (no other ingredient declared by the distributors consulted)
- Allergens: refer to the label of the product received
- Origin: dried okra eaten in Côte d'Ivoire and Cameroon; country of production not disclosed by the supplier
- Storage: away from heat and moisture, in an airtight container once the bag has been opened
