Bamia is a very popular Arabic okra and tomato stew. It's made both with and without meat, I am sharing the recipe for Bamia without meat. This okra stew is very popular in a lot of Arabic countries like Lebanon, Egypt, and Syria. It's a vegan and gluten-free recipe.
1cupwateror as required to get the desired consistency.
Instructions
Heat oil in a cooking pot. Add chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook until the onion becomes translucent.
Add okra and sauté for 6-7 minutes on a medium flame.
Add very finely chopped tomatoes . Mix and cook for around 8-10 minutes on a medium flame.
Add all the spices, salt, tomato paste, and pomegranate molasses. Mix and saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add water, mix, and cover the pot. Cook covered for around 20 minutes.
Remove the lid. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
Video
Notes
If you don't have frozen okra, you can use fresh too. However, make sure that you use small okras. Fully grown large okras sometimes have worms inside them and they may be woody also so, it's better to avoid using them. Else, you can also chop tender large okras and then use them in the recipe. However, if you are using chopped okra, it's better to sauté them in some oil before using in the recipe otherwise they turn very slimy.
You can also use canned crushed tomatoes or chopped tomatoes to make the tomato sauce for bamia.
Instead of pomegranate molasses, lemon juice can be used too. But pomegranate molasses makes this dish tastier.
Generally, lamb is also added to bamia but, it's made without meat too. If you wish you can also add cooked chickpeas or potatoes to it.
Don't skip the step of sautéing okra with onions for a few minutes before adding the tomatoes. It gives a better texture and taste to okra.
More recipe tips and tricks are shared in the post above, please follow them to make this recipe.