Bamya (Okra Stew) Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Bamya is an Arabic word that means okra; this okra stew is a popular Middle Eastern dish that is usually cooked with meat and tomato sauce and served with white rice or pita bread.

Prep Time5

Cook Time50

Total Time55

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Servings: Servings

Calories: 202kcal

Author: Radwa

Equipment

Pot
Measuring spoons
Kitchen knife
Measuring cups
Garlic press

Ingredients

For the beef

500 g beef , cut into small pieces
1 onion , diced
3 pods cardamom
2 bay leaves
2 cloves
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon black pepper

For the okra stew

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion , diced
5 cloves garlic , minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 bag frozen okra
2 tablespoon tomato paste
425 g tomato sauce
2 cups beef broth
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Cook the meat: In a deep pot, add about 3-4 litres of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
Add the meat pieces to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes, then skim off the foam on top of the meat and add onion, salt, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves.
500 g beef, 1 onion, 3 pods cardamom , 2 bay leaves, 2 cloves, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Cook until the meat is tender and soft.
Cook the okra: In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat, add onion, ground coriander and garlic, sauté for about 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
2 tablespoon olive oil, 1 onion, 5 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ground coriander
Add in the okra and tomato paste, tomato sauce, salt and pepper and broth. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
2 tablespoon tomato paste, 425 g tomato sauce, 2 cups beef broth, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 bag frozen okra
Then reduce the heat and let it simmer on low for 20 minutes.
Add cooked beef and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until the okra is tender.

Notes

A top tip for flavorful okra stew is to cook it in a long, slow simmer to allow the flavors to come together gently and to achieve the appropriate texture.
Use fresh, or frozen and thawed okra. Baby okra is recommended for this recipe because it is tender. Larger okras are tough, and they take too long to tenderize. Mini okras are also aesthetically pleasing compared to the larger ones.

Nutrition