Bamya: Fried okra in tomato stew is a very simple ethnic dish that’s an absolute favorite of mine!
Jump to Recipe
Wow, I cannot believe its taking me so long to publish this recipe but so happy I’m finally posting it! Let me explain why it took a long time. First off, I am so not technologically savvy. Despite it being SO easy supposedly to use these sites, I still find it quite challenging. And the second reason is I sort of suck at writing down exact measurements, so I actually still need to go back and revise. I’m so used to tasting as I go and adjusting as I need it’s tough to write a concrete recipe.
I’m glad I’m doing this though so I can find my recipes in an organized and clear manner (just today I realized that my pages document with all my moms recipes that I’ve collected over the years and just jotted down as she was cooking is somehow lost! Visiting the genius bar pronto.) that hopefully one day little Ayla can follow and recreate memories. Thank you for reading and if you make this recipe please post a picture and tag it #sweetpillarfood! And please comment and show me some love!
- Okra I usually like to use fresh okra but this particular time I used frozen cut okra from the frozen section
- Beef chunk I've used a variety of meats in the past; ground beef etc
- 1 diced tomato
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 minced garlic
- 1/4 cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 cup Beef broth or chicken stock I usually use chicken stock if I'm making it with ground beef otherwise I use the broth of the meat I'm using
Boil beef chunk for roughly 40 minutes on low heat with bay leaf, cardamom, onion and s&p (salt and pepper are essential, the rest are for additional flavor); Set aside
Sauté the okra with oil, garlic and diced onion for roughly 3-5 minutes
Add the tomato for additional 1-2 minutes
Add 1 cup of water or stock (using the beef broth or chicken stock adds a lot more flavor)
Add 1 can of tomato sauce
Add the meat
Once it boils, cover and reduce heat
Let it simmer for roughly 5-7 minutes
Add pressed garlic and cilantro and stir
Let is simmer, covered for an additional few minutes
Tip:
- If the sauce is too reduced, add more water/stock.
- If the sauce taste too diluted, add a tablespoon or so of tomato paste.
- Serve with rice or pita bread and/sliced raw green peppers on the side (optional)
0
Sarah says
Great post Nadia! Totally agree that writing recipes is not a simple task, and so many variables can affect the outcome. Hopefully those recreating the dish will know what they need to make their attempt just as delicious as yours. I LOVE basil in anything, and had never thought of using it in Bamia! Thanks for the inspo! Good luck with future posts, looking forward to seeing what else you send our way 🙂
Nadia Hubbi says
Thank you so much Sarah! I never thought of basil either, you know Syrians are all about the toom and kisbara haha. And ditto, i love your posts and photography keep ’em coming!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Never have I tried okra before! Definitely need to keep my eyes out for it here in Australia. This stew looks so hearty and delicious.
Nadia Hubbi says
You’re going to be hooked! Okra is so versatile and a personal favorite. Let me know if you end up finding and making this dish 🙂
Manal says
I love you blog. Very nice and straight to the point Middle Eastern dishes. Bamia looks amazing; it’s one of my favorite dishes since I was a child. Keep it up 🙂
Nadia Hubbi says
Thanks so much Manal! I’ve been following your work for some time too and love it! Thanks for the encouraging words =)