This is a common and much-loved dish of Egypt. You also find it in other countries. Use small okra—they are much nicer than the tougher large ones—and serve with rice or bulgur. Traditionally, okra is put in to cook at the same time as the meat, so that it becomes extremely soft and falls apart, but these days it is not uncommon to add it at a later stage, so that it remains firm. That is the way I like it.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　1 3/4 pounds small young okra (called bamia in Egypt)

　　3 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

　　2 large onions, chopped, or 3/4 pound baby onions, peeled

　　2 cloves garlic, chopped

　　1 teaspoon ground coriander

　　1 3/4 pounds beef, lamb, or veal stew meat, cut into 1 1/4-inch cubes

　　1 pound tomatoes, peeled and sliced

　　1–1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

　　Salt and pepper

　　Juice of 1 lemon

　　

Step 1

Wash the okra and trim the stem ends, cutting round the cap to form a little cone.

　　

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the onions until soft and golden. Start on low heat with the lid on, then uncover and turn up the heat to medium. Add the garlic and coriander and put in the meat. Turn the pieces until they change color all over.

　　

Step 3

Add the tomatoes, cover with water, and stir in the tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper, stir well, and simmer over low heat for 1–1 1/4 hours. Stir in the okra, adding water if necessary, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the meat and okra are tender and the sauce is reduced.

　　

Step 4

Add lemon juice and serve hot with rice.

　　

Variations

Step 5

In the Said, in Upper Egypt, they boil the meat (about half the quantity) first in water, then lift the pieces out and cook the okra in the stock along with 2 cups tomato juice and 2 small chopped chili peppers. When the okra is very soft, they mash it with a fork (you can use a food processor). They put the meat back in the pan with the mashed okra and add a sauce called takleya made by frying 5 crushed garlic cloves with 1 teaspoon ground coriander in 2 tablespoons oil until the garlic is golden. The dish is quite soupy.

　　

Step 6

For an Iraqi version, add 2 dried limes (see page 44) from the start. Crack them open with a hammer before you put them in, or pierce them with a skewer when they have softened in the stew. Omit the fresh lemon juice. The dried limes give a distinctive and delicious flavor.

　　

Step 7

A Syrian version adds 2 tablespoons pomegranate syrup (molasses or concentrate) in mid-cooking. Omit the lemon juice.

　　

Step 8

For a Turkish version, add 2 tablespoons wine vinegar.

　　The New Book of Middle Eastern Food Copyright © 2000Knopf