Bamia

Ingredients

Lamb

• 800 glamb shoulder or shank, in 4 cm pieces
• 2 tbspoil or ghee
• 1large onion, chopped
• 6 clovesgarlic, crushed
• 2 tspground coriander
• 1 tspground cumin
• ½ tspground cinnamon
• 1 litrewater or light stock
• 2 tspsalt
• 1 tspblack pepper

The stew

• 700 gokra, small pods, stems trimmed without cutting into the pod
• 400 gtomatoes, blended, or 1 tin chopped
• 2 tbsptomato purée
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1green chilli, whole (optional)

To serve

• flatbread or plain rice

Directions

1. Trim the okra by paring the cone off the stem end without cutting into the pod itself. Cutting through the pod releases the mucilage, and that is the whole difference between a glossy stew and a slimy one.
2. Rinse the trimmed pods and dry them completely on a cloth. Wet okra will not seal.
3. Brown the lamb hard in the oil in a heavy pot, in batches, then set aside. Soften the onion and garlic in the same pot for 6 minutes, add the ground spices and cook 30 seconds.
4. Return the lamb, add the water, season, and simmer covered for 1 hour 15 minutes until the meat is nearly tender.
5. Meanwhile fry the whole dry okra pods in a little oil over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes, turning, until lightly browned and firm. This seals them, and it is the second half of the anti-slime method.
6. Add the blended tomato and purée to the lamb pot and simmer 10 minutes to thicken.
7. Add the sealed okra and the whole chilli, and simmer very gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Do not stir vigorously from this point — shake the pot instead, or the pods break up.
8. Stir in the lemon juice at the end, off the heat. The acid brightens the stew and helps keep the okra firm. Serve with bread or rice.

Technique

• Small pods, whole, trimmed carefully and dried, then fried. Follow those four and okra behaves; skip any of them and it does not.
• Lemon at the end, not the beginning — acid added early toughens the lamb.
• Shake, don’t stir. Broken okra is what makes the stew ropey.

Substitutions

• Frozen whole baby okra, used straight from frozen without thawing, works well and needs no trimming.
• Beef shin or goat in place of lamb, given an extra 30 minutes.

Variations

• The Egyptian and Levantine bamya, often with more garlic and coriander pounded together at the end.
• A meatless version with chickpeas, common on fasting days.

History

Okra stewed with lamb; the Arabic name bamia follows the vegetable’s spread through the Ottoman and Arab world from Africa.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bamia?

Bamia is a soup & stew from South Sudan: okra stewed with lamb in tomato sauce. Okra stewed with lamb; the Arabic name bamia follows the vegetable’s spread through the Ottoman and Arab world from Africa.

How long does Bamia take to make?

Bamia takes 25 min of preparation and 1 hr 45 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated easy to make.

What can I substitute in Bamia?

Yes, within limits. Frozen whole baby okra, used straight from frozen without thawing, works well and needs no trimming. Beef shin or goat in place of lamb, given an extra 30 minutes.

What is the most important thing to get right in Bamia?

Trim the okra by paring the cone off the stem end without cutting into the pod itself. Cutting through the pod releases the mucilage, and that is the whole difference between a glossy stew and a slimy one.