Bamya – a tasty okra stew, with or without meat

Bamya – a tasty okra stew, with or without meat

Everyone loves a hearty stew, especially on a cold winters evening....

Bamya, is a hot pot of okra, meat and zesty tomato sauce.

It is a very traditional Egyptian dish, usually cooked with lamb or beef. Served with Egyptian or other short grained rice. However, if you're vegetarian just skip the meat & it's still very tasty.

The good thing about Bamya is that it tastes as good, if not better, the following day.

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RECIPE

Ingredients- Serves 5-6

  • 2 lbs Lamb or 2 lbs beef stew meat
  • 1 tsp Coriander, ground
  • 2 Garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 lbs Okra
  • 2 Onions
  • 1 cup Tomato
  • 1 cup Stock
  • 3 tbsp Tomato paste
  • 1 Lemon, juice of
  • 1 tsp Black pepper
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 6 tbsp Butter or 6 tablespoons olive oil, unsalted
  • 1 tsp Cumin, ground
  • 2 cups Water

DIRECTIONS


Heat 4 tablespoons butter or oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Working in small batches, brown meat, turning constantly, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Add onions to meat and saute until translucent, 8-10 minutes.
Add garlic, cumin, coriander, tomatoes, tomato paste, and stock. Stir well.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover tightly and cook for about 45 minutes - 1 hour or until meat is tender. Add more water if it becomes dry.
Prepare okra by rinsing in cool water. Cut the stem end off each and poke holes in them to absorb the liquid.
Once meat is tender add okra and 1-2 cups water.
Pour lemon juice over mixture (this reduces the slimy texture of the okra).
Cook an additional 30-45 minutes on low heat until it has a thick stew consistency and okra is soft.
Serve warm with rice.