Egyptian Recipe for Stew and How to Cook Okra

Egyptian Recipe for Stew
and How to Cook Okra

An Egyptian recipe for stew is called Bamya which is usually a meat and okra stew.

You can also make a tasty vegetarian okra stew without using any meat.

Okra is an edible pod that is green in color and known for its gummy like fluid.

And learning how to cook okra can help to reduce its tendency to become slimy, but sometimes this is a plus especially when making a stew.

Making an okra stew can be a very quick and easy dish to make. Tomatoes are often used with okra as they seem to compliment each other.

Recipe for Stew - Egyptian Okra Stew

Ingredients:

1.1 lb. of Meat with Bone (grass-fed and cut)
1.1 lb. Fresh or Frozen Organic Okra
3 Tbsp. of Organic Ghee
1 Tbsp. Organic Tomato Paste
1 cup Organic Tomato Juice
Juice of 1 Freshly Squeezed Organic Lemon
5 Organic Garlic Cloves
Sea Salt (to taste)
1 Organic Bay Leaf
6 cups of Filtered Water

I do like the type of meat used in this recipe because it includes bones that will make a wonderful broth.

It will add a richness to a recipe for stew and also some health benefits.

And you can use lamb or beef to make your Bamya stew, but make sure it's grass-fed meat.

Instructions:

Brown the meat in ghee - then add the water with the bay leaf. Cook on low heat for 1 hour - cover with a lid.

Remove about half of the meat broth and set aside in a heat-proof bowl.

Add the okra and garlic to the pot with the meat. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes covered with a lid.

In another bowl mix together the tomato paste, tomato juice, 2 cups of meat broth (that was set aside), and lemon juice.

Then add this sauce back into the pot with the meat and okra along with any extra meat broth (that was set aside) - season.

Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes with the lid ajar.

Serve this Egyptian recipe for stew with a side of white rice or pita bread.

Recipe for Stew - Vegetarian Okra Stew

Ingredients:

1 lb. Organic Frozen or Fresh Okra
3 Tbsp. of Organic Expeller-Pressed Coconut Oil
1 Organic Red Onion (diced)
4 to 5 Organic Garlic Cloves (minced)
2 to 3 Organic Ripe Tomatoes (diced)
8 oz. of Organic Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 cups of Filtered Water
Sea Salt & Black Pepper (to taste)

Instructions:

Saute diced onions in coconut oil for a couple of minutes - then add in the minced garlic.

Cook until garlic starts to brown and stir in the okra - cook to soften the okra. Then stir in the seasoning.

Next stir in the fresh diced tomatoes - then add in the tomato sauce and water.

Simmer for a few more minutes and serve hot.

Be sure to choose a healthy fat like coconut oil or ghee to saute your onions and garlic. I personally don't care to use vegetable oils because of its high amount of omega 6 fatty acids.

What is Okra?

Okra is considered a vegetable and has elongated green pods that have ridged fuzzy skin.

These pods grow 2 to 7 inches in length, and it's best to use the pods that are 3 to 4 inches for a more tender okra.

Okra has a subtle mild taste and some people say that its flavor resembles eggplant.

Okra is a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K, Folate, and Magnesium.

You can find okra fresh during certain months, but it may be easier (depending on where you live) to use frozen okra to make your okra stew.

How to Cook Okra

Make sure to pick okra that is dry and firm to the touch. Look for a medium to dark green color and there should be no blemishes on its skin.

Okra can be boiled, baked, steamed, fried, sauteed, and stewed.

Okra can also be used as a mild flavoring agent for your dishes and it makes a great thickener for stews and gumbos.

Some people like to eat the flowers from the okra plant as well. I've seen them cooked by sauteeing the flowers in a little oil.

Go to Moussaka Recipes

Return from Egyptian Recipe for Stew to Egyptian Foods

Return from Egyptian Recipe for Stew to Healthy Foods