bamia

Okra stew, or &quot;bamya&quot; in Arabic, is a classic dish served in many countries across the middle east. It&#039;s typically cooked with beef, lamb or veal and served with rice. It&#039;s so comforting and the best way to enjoy okra!

Okra Stew (Middle Eastern Bamya Recipe)

veal

okra okra

onion (finely diced)

vegetable oil

tomato paste

garlic (roughly chopped)

pomegranate molasses (if unavailable,

salt

black pepper

water

Start by dicing the onion finely and add it to a stock pot along with the vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook it for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent.

Season the veal pieces with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

To the pot with the onions, add the veal pieces and brown them from all sides for about 5 minutes.

Cover the veal with about 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and boil for 30 minutes, until the meat is almost very tender. You can also pressure cook the veal for 15 minutes. This step gives the meat a head start on cooking, since it often takes longer than the okra. See notes on doneness of meat.

To the same pot, once the veal is a bit more than halfway cooked, add the frozen okra to the pot along with the tomato paste, the roughly chopped garlic, the pomegranate molasses and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Add about 3-4 more cups of water in the pot, mix everything well, and bring to a rolling boil on medium heat for roughly 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, check the tenderness of both the okra and the meat. If they are both still slightly firm, add more water (roughly 2-3 cups) and allow it to continue boiling for another 20 minutes.

Check the softness of the meat and okra, as well as the seasoning and adjust accordingly by adding more salt and pepper as needed. If okra and meat are both tender, turn heat off and serve.

This is me and my husband's favorite stew! Personally, I like it when the okra is slimy it's the best part! I didn't have time to get veal so I used beef chunks for stew and it wasn't as soft and "pull-apart" as it should've been so next time I think I need to boil the meat longer before adding in the okra but besides that it was very yummy and will make again.

I LOVED this dish! I added a small diced potato (I couldn’t help myself) and used soy chunks and vegan beef broth. So delicious!!  And so easy!!

5 stars!!!

I am excited to make this! And as a vegan, I’ll use soya chunks for the beef and a vegan beef broth powder. I need to get more pomegranate molasses (I love it, thanks to you!) and buy the okra. Ohhh, and when you said green onion…yes!! I was thinking the same thing. Stay tuned! Thank you for all your delicious creations, Amina!

Salam 3alaykom, and jazakAllah khir for the recipe, I always loved eating this in Egypt, but never learned to make it. Where I live now (Algeria), okra is very hard to find, but when I spotted some jarred baby okra in a Levantine shop the other day, I just knew I had to use some of the Eid meat and learn to cook this at last. Your recipe is spot on, I couldn't stop eating it! I did add a healthy pinch of baharat that I had on hand, and only added the okra in the end for about 10 min to warm through as the jarred one is already cooked, but otherwise followed it to the letter (rare for me with recipes XD). This is pinned and will be a go-to from now on insha'Allah, now that I can get okra regularly! &lt;3

Hi Amina!
Your recipe is simple, easy to follow and tasty; just what any busy woman needs!!
I like your "common sense" explanations. It reassured me that there's no "fail" with trying, hah hah!
Greetings from Toronto, Canada. Keep sending more recipes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ygr-uukr9G0

This Okra Stew, also known as Bamia, is a Middle Eastern classic!  Soft, succulent lamb is cooked with okra in a tomato based sauce and served over rice.

Okra Stew (Middle Eastern Bamia)

This Lebanese okra stew is made with tender beef and okra stewed in a delicious rich tomato sauce.

Lebanese Okra Stew

lb baby okra- frozen bags

lb sirloin steak- cut into 1 inch pieces

olive oil

garlic cloves- cut into round pieces or diced

onion-

all spice

tsp black pepper

cinnamon

tomatoes-

pomegranate molasses- If available or lemon juice

salt-

In a medium size non-stick pot over medium-high...

In a medium size non-stick pot over medium-high heat, heat olive oil, then add the onions, salt and garlic. Sauté for about 5-8 minutes or until onion is wilted but not browned.

Add beef tips and spices. Mix well with...

Add beef tips and spices. Mix well with the onion and garlic mixture. Cook for  10 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure all sides of beef and are cooked.

Add water and bring mixture to a boil.

Lower heat to medium low, cover the pot...

Lower heat to medium low, cover the pot and simmer for additional 25-35 minutes or until beef is tender.

Add the okra, cook for 10 minutes, until...

Add the okra, cook for 10 minutes, until soft.

Add tomato paste and fresh diced tomatoes. Mix...

Add tomato paste and fresh diced tomatoes. Mix well to incorporate everything together and cover the pot. Simmer for additional 10 minutes until sauce thickens.

Stir in pomegranate molasses, taste and adjust salt.

Serve over Lebanese rice if you'd like and...

Serve over Lebanese rice if you'd like and enjoy!

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