Bamia بامية - Middle Eastern Okra and Meat Stew - Every Little Crumb (2024)

Bamia is a classic Middle Eastern okra stew made with okra in a tomato sauce. It often has meat too, but can be made vegetarian. This is the best recipe ever, broken down into really simple steps. You’ll be able to follow this very easily! Cooking the meat in a pressure cooker like an Instant pot makes it so tender and melt in your mouth. It also cuts down on cook time significantly.

What is bamia?

Bamia is an Arabic word translating to okra. This Okra meat stew is a very commonly eaten Middle Eastern dish, an okra stew made with okra, tomatoes and usually lamb, but I use beef in this recipe. The stew is naturally thick and hearty due to the okra, and there’s a lot of variations. Most importantly is the addition of garlic, and I love the finishing touch that a cilantro/garlic sauteed mixture give.

What’s so good about this bamia recipe?

• The meat is melt in your mouth tender, thanks to being cooked in a pressure cooker/instant pot.
• Okra is so comforting, as the natural tendencies of okra is to become tender and thick when cooked down.
• This recipe is really simple to follow, and doesn’t take too long. There’s also a lot of variations you can do.
• The combination of fresh tomatoes and tomato paste make the base of this stew so rich and packed with flavor.
• This okra stew uses frozen okra, so it’s super simple.
• Bamia is so healthy and hearty, and surprisingly kid friendly! The okra can help regulate blood sugar levels due to the fiber in it, and it has lots of nutrients and antioxidants.
• Leftovers taste AMAZING too- I think this okra stew actually gets better overnight in the fridge.

Ingredients you need to make bamia:

Frozen okra: much easier to use than fresh okra. Go for the small okra in freezer packs, you don’t even really need to thaw it. Just keep it on the countertop while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Beef or lamb cubes: Although this is more typically made with lamb, and often bone in pieces, I like using boneless beef. It’s just a preference, so go with whatever you prefer!

Spices: bay leaves, cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, seven spices or allspice, salt and pepper

Tomatoes: I really like using fresh tomatoes in this recipe. If you prefer, you can substitute canned diced tomatoes, but if you have fresh tomatoes they’ll really shine.

Onions and garlic: Plenty of both to give lots of great flavor.

Cilantro (coriander): This is such a big part of that delicious bamia flavor, where you sautee the cilantro with crushed garlic in olive oil then add it to the okra stew. It really infuses the okra with so much flavor.

Apple cider vinegar: My mom’s trick, it brings out the tanginess in the tomato sauce. You can use pomegranate molasses instead, or leave this out entirely!

Sugar: Just a tiny pinch to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. If using pomegranate molasses in place of the apple cider vinegar, leave out the sugar.

How to make the best Middle Eastern okra stew:

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1. First, cook the meat. Add it to an instant pot or pressure cooker, along with the onion, tomato paste and spices, and add water to cover the meat. Bring to pressure and cook for 25 minutes, then force release the pressure.
2. In a large deep skillet, heat the oil on medium high. Add the sliced garlic, and saute until fragrant for a minute or so. Add the okra, and stir and saute until okra is almost cooked through, a good 10 minutes. Then, add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes until softened and juices release.
3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the chopped coriander and crushed garlic and cook for a few minutes on medium high heat until garlic is starting to turn golden. Set aside.
4. If using an instant pot, add the okra and tomato mixture onto the cooked meat, and then turn instant pot to saute mode. Add the vinegar, sugar if using, and garlic/coriander mixture and simmer on low for 10 minutes. Otherwise, do the same thing to a normal pot and simmer on medium low.

What to serve Middle Eastern Okra Stew with:

The best thing you can serve this with is vermicelli rice. I have a great, easy recipe for it here. For a change, you could also serve with Egyptian rice. You could also eat this without any carbs, as a hearty stew, or with some crusty bread.

Storing leftover bamia:

Leftovers taste great, and will last in the fridge tightly covered for up to 5 days. To reheat, gently warm in a skillet or microwave.

Recipe tips and tricks:

• Saute the okra really well before adding to the meat mixture- because it won’t cook much further once it’s in the tomato sauce.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust! This can sometimes handle more salt than you think.
• If you want more of a sweet/tangy flavor, add a heaped tablespoon of pomegranate molasses.
• Browning the meat really infuses the base of the stew with flavor. It shouldn’t take long at all, but if you prefer to skip this step you can.

Bamia FAQs:

For more classic Middle Eastern recipes:

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