Okra Stew

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5 from 8 votes

Okra or Bamia is one of the most famous Egyptian recipe. Make it with beef or lamb, it is delicious both ways.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time1 hr 25 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Egyptian, Middle Eastern, North African

Servings: serving

Calories: 324.5kcal

Author: Amira

Ingredients

For cooking the beef

1 pound beef cut into 1 in cubes, Note1.
1 medium onion , quartered.
3 cardamom pods , crushed.
2 bay leaves
Water to cover.

For the okra stew:

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium sized onion-chopped.
2 garlic cloves- minced.
½ - 1 teaspoon ground coriander.
2 jalapeño peppers , optional.
1 cup broth Note2
1 bag (10oz) frozen okra Note3
1 can (15oz) tomato sauce.
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper.

Instructions

Cooking the beef:

In a deep pot over medium high heat, add water, onion, bay leaves and cardamom pods then bring to a boil.
Add beef cubes continue to boil for 5 minutes skimming the foam from the top. Then reduce heat to medium and keep cooking until beef is done. Note4
Strain the beef keeping the beef and beef broth aside.

Cook the okra:

In a pot over medium heat, heat oil. Saute onions and garlic until fragrant. Add coriander and stir for a minute then add the peppers if using.
Pour the tomato sauce, along with one cup of the beef broth we just made. Bring to a boil.
Stir in the okra, salt and pepper . Adjust seasoning then cover and let it cook.
Bring back to a boil then reduce heat and simmer. Check liquid level regularly as okra scorches easily.
When it is almost done, after 35-40 minutes, add the cooked beef. Let it simmer for another 10 minutes.

Notes

Note1: Basically you can use any beef cut you like with or without bones. Traditionally okra beef stew is not made with bone-in beef but it is really a very forgiving recipe. You can also use lamb, it goes great with okra.

Note2: Use the broth from cooking the meat. If you want to make it vegan skip the meat and use vegetable stock.

Note3: You can also use fresh and trimmed okra. If you only find 1 pound frozen okra bags you can use the whole pound as well.

Note4: Some people like to brown the beef first in the oven or in a skillet before adding it to the water. You can add celery stalks and carrots into your broth to enhance the flavor much like we did in this fattah recipe.

Serve bamia with:

Serve hot with white rice or pita bread. Lemon wedges on the side is highly desirable.

Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.

Vitamins are in percentage value. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Nutrition