Bamya—Egyptian Meat and Okra Stew

Bamya is a hearty Egyptian stew made with meat and okra. When simmered in this acidic sauce, okra has little of the sliminess that it is known for. This delicious stew can be prepared with beef or lamb. The stew meat simmers until it is nicely tender, and then the flavor is kicked up with tomato, garlic, coriander, cumin, and lemon juice. The flavor is really different than any other stew I’ve had, and super yummy! (I’ve never been to Egypt, so this dish is inspired by Egyptian Bamya rather than an exact replica of what you’d find there.)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
3 tablespoons butter (or other healthy fat of your choice, such as tallow, ghee, etc.)
1 pound beef or lamb stew meat
2 cups filtered water
1 bay leaf
½ pound fresh okra, stem ends and long tapered ends removed,* chopped into ½-inch chunks
5 cloves garlic, freshly minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste, preferably from a glass jar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon dried coriander
1 teaspoon dried cumin
1 tablespoon salt, divided
½ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons white rice flour (or substitute arrowroot for a grain-free option, or leave it out entirely)
Optional: Cooked white rice, to serve

Directions

Melt the butter in a 4-quart pot over medium-high heat.
Add the chopped onion and ½ tablespoon salt. Sauté for about 10 minutes, allowing the onion to take on a bit of brown, caramelized color.
Stir the stew meat into the pot. Sprinkle with ½ tablespoon salt (or less if your tomato paste is salted) and ½ teaspoon pepper. Allow the meat to brown for about five minutes, stirring after a few minutes.
Add the water and bay leaf to the pot. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Allow the meat to simmer for 60-80 minutes, until it is nearly tender.
Once the meat is nearly tender, add the okra, garlic, tomato paste, lemon juice, coriander, and cumin to the pot. Stir to combine.
Simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove ½ cup of liquid from the pot. Whisk 3 tablespoons rice flour or arrowroot into this liquid, then whisk it back into the pot. Bring to a low boil for a few minutes to allow the flour to thicken the stew liquid. Beware: arrowroot breaks down and loses its sauce-thickening ability if simmered too long, so only simmer for a few minutes if you’re using it.
Turn off heat and ladle into bowls. This stew can be served as it is, or over white rice as it is traditionally served in Egypt.

* I prefer to remove both the stem ends and the long tapered ends, as the latter seem to contribute to okra’s reputation for sliminess. I also discard any okra pods that have brown seeds inside, as these will be tough.

Reprinted with permission from www.nourishedandnurturedlife.com.

About the Author

Sarah R. Smith is a homeopath, homesteader, and homeschooling mother of two. She has been studying nutrition and health since 2005, when she was first introduced to the work of Drs. Weston A. Price and Francis M. Pottenger, Jr. Sarah has been writing about real food and health on her website (www.nourishedandnurturedlife.com) since 2011. She is the author of two eCookbooks, Nourishing Eats (2012) and Nourished Cooking (2013). Sarah also serves on the board of the Raw Milk Institute. As a homeopath, she works with children and adults to heal acute and chronic imbalances, leading to healthier, happier lives. In addition, she teaches homeopathy classes in her local community.