Fresh vegetables online in Poland: Indian okra, drumstick and taro delivered

If there is no Indian shop near you in Poland, you can order fresh vegetables online from Little India and have them delivered to any address in Poland: okra (bhindi), drumstick, taro (arbi), karela, parwal, green chillies, fresh coriander, ginger and coconut. Most of these are hard to find in a Polish supermarket, and the labels give the Polish name first. This guide gives the Polish name of each vegetable, explains when fresh produce ships, and how to store each one once the parcel arrives.

Which fresh vegetables you can order online

Everything fresh is in the fresh vegetables and fruit category. The Polish name is the one on the label and in the Polish version of the shop, so it is the one to look for when the parcel arrives or when you shop in a Polish market.

What is on offer changes, so check the product page for availability. If fresh curry leaves are not listed, dried curry leaves are a weaker but usable stand-in; our guide to fresh curry leaves explains the difference.

Fresh vegetables online: when produce delivery ships

Fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs ship once a week. Orders with fresh items are collected until Monday and shipped on Tuesday; an order placed on Tuesday or later ships the following week. If you want to cook sambar with drumstick at the weekend, order by Monday.

The rule applies to orders that contain fresh vegetables, fruit or herbs. The parcel goes by courier or post to any address in Poland, and the cart shows the delivery options and their cost before you order. The whole ordering process, including payment, is in our guide to Indian grocery delivery in Poland.

Ordering okra online, and its Polish names

The shop sells okra in a 500 g pack and a smaller one. In Polish it is okra or piżmian jadalny, and the shop's product name also lists gombo and bamia, the names used in African and Middle Eastern cooking. Okra loses its freshness fast, so plan to cook it within a few days of delivery. For bhindi masala without the slime, read our guide to okra (bhindi).

How to store fresh vegetables after delivery

Unpack the parcel as soon as it arrives.

• Okra: in the fridge in a paper bag, unwashed. Use within a few days.
• Taro: in a cool, dry, dark place, not in the fridge. Use within a week.
• Drumstick: in the fridge, wrapped in paper, for a few days. You can cut it into pieces and freeze it. See our drumstick guide.
• Karela and parwal: in the fridge, in the vegetable drawer, for a few days.
• Green chillies: in the fridge, unwashed, in a box or paper bag. Freeze any extra whole.
• Coriander: stand the bunch in a jar of water, cover it loosely with a bag and keep it in the fridge. More in our guide to coriander.
• Ginger: unpeeled, in a paper bag in the fridge, for two to three weeks. You can also freeze it whole and grate it from frozen. See fresh ginger (adrak).
• Coconut: unopened, a few days at room temperature. Keep the flesh in the fridge and use it within a couple of days, or grate and freeze it. How to open one is in our guide to coconut milk and fresh coconut.
• Sweet potato: in a cool, dry place, not in the fridge.

Taro and cassava: always cooked

Taro must always be cooked. Raw taro irritates the mouth and throat, and the juice can irritate the skin of your hands, so peel it with gloves or boil it in its skin and peel it once cool. Step by step: how to cook taro root.

Raw cassava is toxic. Peel it completely, remove the woody core, and boil it in plenty of water until fully soft, then pour the water away. Fresh cassava spoils within days, so cassava flour is the easier option; prepare it as the pack says. Full method: cassava, how to cook it safely.

Fruit delivery

The same Tuesday rule covers fresh fruit, for example green mango for pickles and chutney. A fresh coconut is fresh produce too, so an order with one ships on Tuesday. For everything else the shop sells, see our guide to the Indian shop in Poland.