Okra stew with butter rice

A hearty okra stew is just the right dish for cooler days. When it gets a little darker outside, I like to serve the stew with the green pods. This is real comfort food for me. Many people then always ask "What is okra?" - then just let them taste it. The recipe is simple! I'll show you how to make the Lebanese okra stew called Bamya.

What is okra?

I bet you that okra will soon become very popular in this country as well. The pods of the mallow plant okra have hardly any fat, but a high proportion of fiber - these are very healthy and good for digestion. The vegetable pods taste mild to very slightly acidic and have a tender to slightly woody texture and consistency, depending on their size. I think you can compare the taste somewhat to green beans. You can use the polygonal pod for salads, creams, stews and much more.

Okra is called bamya or bamyeh in Lebanon. And this stew was simply named after this fantastic pod. In Lebanon it is an absolute classic and is really simple to prepare. Sauté everything briefly, put the lid on and let it stew.

Prepare okra

Alright; one or two things to keep in mind when preparing the pods, though. When you cook the okra, it secretes a kind of slime - no need to panic! Now this sounds more unappetizing than it actually is. This property allows the stew to thicken without the addition of starch. Of course, if you don't want this at all, there are workarounds.

Before you cook the pods, you can first blanch them in water with vinegar or lemon juice - and you'll be rid of slime. My mother had another trick for me. "Fry them first, then they won't slime - like snails." - "Okay, so I fry the pods hot."

Besides the okra, you'll need the following ingredients for the stew:

• lean beef
• Onion
• Garlic
• Vegetable broth
• Strained tomatoes
• good olive oil
• Spices
• Pomegranate syrup
• and with pleasure a little chili

By the way, I use the small variety of okra for this stew, as it is more tender than the large, longer pods. The exact ingredients and the preparation of the dish you will find below.

Traditionally, Bamya - like almost every stew - is served with rice or bulgur as a side dish. But it also tastes fantastic with fresh pita bread or butter bulgur. Just try it out!

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Recipe for okra stew with butter rice

If you want to get through the cold days well, I also recommend Lebanese flower charcoal stew | Yakhnit Arnabit or "Fasolia" - Lebanese bean stew.