Whether you call it bamia, bamya, or okra, this Mediterranean stew with lamb and beef cubes is a hearty dish enjoyed year-round.
It is a celebratory dish that originated in the Middle East and is loved throughout Eastern Europe.
If you're not familiar with okra, they are small green, ribbed pods best known as a key ingredient in gumbo.
Its taste falls somewhere between eggplant and asparagus, and it combines well with other vegetables, particularly tomatoes.
Sliced pods exude a sticky juice that thickens any liquid, a characteristic that explains okra's long-standing use in soups like gumbo and stews.
📋Why This Recipe Works
This Mediterranean stew recipe with bamia is super easy to make in one pot and it's very comforting in the winter over a bowl of rice or with crusty bread.
Okra has many health benefits. It is low in calories, a good source of dietary fiber, and contains minerals and vitamins. Read more about its potential health benefits on Healthline.
🛒Ingredients and Notes
- Meat: beef and lamb for stew. You can use ground lamb instead.
- Aromatics: onions and garlic.
- Vegetables: carrots, tomatoes, and okra (fresh, frozen, or dried).
- Spices and seasonings: sweet paprika, allspice, salt, and pepper.
- Liquids: water, vinegar, lemon juice.
🔪Step by Step Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or a nonstick pot, sauté onions in oil until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, carrots, beef, and lamb meat and sauté until meat is lightly browned on all sides.
- Add spices, tomatoes, and water and bring to a boil. Cover, cook, and occasionally stir on low heat until meat is tender, about 45-60 minutes.
- Add the pods and lemon juice to the meat mixture. Add more water, if necessary, to cover. Cover and simmer until okra is tender, about 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring ever so gently. Remove the lid and cook until the stew reaches your desired thickness. Check for seasoning, adding pepper and salt to taste.
💡Recipe Tips
- Don't wash fresh okra until just before you cook it; moisture will cause the pods to become slimy. Store untrimmed, uncut okra in a paper or plastic bag in the refrigerator for no longer than three or four days.
- If the pods are very fuzzy, rub them in a damp kitchen towel or with a vegetable brush to remove some of the "fur."
- If you're using frozen pods, don't thaw it before adding it to the stew. It will cook in about 10 minutes, so make sure your meat is tender.
- If using fresh, wash the pods and trim off the stems (see the FAQs for choosing the best pods). Some people remove the conical tops (you should be able to see seeds inside the okra) but keeping them on cuts down on the gelatinous factor. If the pods are large, cut them in half lengthwise or slice them into rings. You will then need to soak them in vinegar and just enough water to cover. Drain, rinse, and dry before adding it to the stew.
- Don't overcook the okra. Once added to the stew, only stir it gently, so the pods remain intact. In addition to keeping them whole, we are adding lemon and tomatoes to prevent them from getting too slimy.
❓FAQs
If you're using fresh, look for small, young pods no more than about one to two inches long. They are the most tender.
As the vegetable matures, it becomes fibrous and tough. Avoid okra pods that are hard, brownish in color, or blackened.
Enjoy this easy stew with a hunk of crusty artisan bread or this Kurdish rice pilaf, but it is also good with mashed potatoes.
Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze to up to 3 months.
💗More Great Recipes to Try
- Instant Pot Beef Stew with Mushrooms
- Beef and Vegetable Stew
- Beef Roll-Ups
- German Cabbage Stew
- Bosnian Cabbage Stew
- Chicken Stew
Liked this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section. Your feedback is always appreciated! Stay in touch through Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook! Don't forget to sign up for my email list below too!
Mediterranean Okra Stew Recipe
Equipment
- Dutch oven or a large heavy-bottomed nonstick pot
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 1 pound beef stew meat
- ½ pound lamb stew meat or ground
- 3 teaspoons sea salt or Vegeta
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 cups diced tomatoes
- 1 cup hot water
- 2 pounds baby fresh or frozen okra
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or a nonstick pot, sauté onions in oil until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, carrots, beef, and lamb meat and sauté until meat is lightly browned on all sides.
- Add spices, tomatoes, and water and bring to a boil. Cover, cook, and occasionally stir on low heat until meat is tender, about 45-60 minutes.
- Add the fresh or frozen okra (read the notes for the best tips!) and lemon juice to the meat mixture. Add more water, if necessary, to cover the okra. Cover and simmer until okra is tender, occasionally stirring ever so gently, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the lid and cook until the stew reaches your desired thickness. Check for seasoning, adding pepper and salt to taste.
Notes
- Don't wash fresh okra until just before you cook it; moisture will cause the pods to become slimy. Store untrimmed, uncut okra in a paper or plastic bag in the refrigerator for no longer than three or four days.
- If the pods are very fuzzy, rub them in a damp kitchen towel or with a vegetable brush to remove some of the "fur."
- If you're using frozen pods, don't thaw it before adding it to the stew. It will cook in about 10 minutes, so make sure your meat is tender.
- If using fresh, wash the pods and trim off the stems (see the FAQs for choosing the best pods). Some people remove the conical tops (you should be able to see seeds inside the okra) but keeping them on cuts down on the gelatinous factor. If the pods are large, cut them in half lengthwise or slice them into rings. You will then need to soak them in vinegar and just enough water to cover. Drain, rinse, and dry before adding it to the stew.
- Don't overcook the okra. Once added to the stew, only stir it gently, so the pods remain intact. In addition to keeping them whole, we are adding lemon and tomatoes to prevent them from getting too slimy.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used and serving size.
This looks just so delicious! Thanks for joining us on Friday Frenzy, Jas! Pinned, of course! P~
Thanks!
My mom used to make things with Okra when my dad was away since he didn't care for it. I love Okra, so I would enjoy this stew. Thanks for sharing this on Merry Monday. Pined.
I understand your mom. My husband doesn't like it either, but he will eat all the meat out of the stew, lol. That's fine, though. More okra for me. 😀
While I am not a fan of Okro as we call it, I love the look of this Stew, it looks delicious. Thanks for sharing at the Pit Stop!
Syl
I'm not judging, lol. I've been hating okra for too long, now I'm making up the lost time. 😉
We grow our own Okra in our garden each year and this will be a perfect recipe for us to try, it looks delicious! Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday. Have a great week and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Can I move in with you, Miz Helen? 😀 I haven't tried growing okra yet. My garden is not that big. Does it need much room?
Being from Alaska we NEVER had fresh okra. I don't think I've even had as an adult. We can get pickled or frozen only. This looks so beautiful!
Frozen works the best for me. Less hassle, lol. Thanks for stopping in!
We love stew in the winter and this looks delicious. Thanks for sharing at the #HomeMattersParty
Thanks, Jenny. Here in the Midwest, the winter likes to linger till May. 🙁
This looks so yummy!! I adore okra. I always have. I wonder how many kids love okra! lately I have been craving okra for some reason. I have never heard of soaking okra in vinegar before.
Not many, I suppose. LOL. You must be your mom's favorite. I hated everything as a kid...my poor mom. 🙂
I am with you: I hated okra as a kid. But as you mention, it's such a great natural thickener—I quite like it now! This stew sounds so delicious, with BOTH beef and lamb. YUM!
Thanks, Michelle! So funny how our taste buds change 🙂
I've been looking for a recipe that included Okra! Finally! thanks for this! #inspiremelinky
I'm glad you found mine, Chandra! 😀 Thank you.
I always kind of liked this dish but really hated the hassle of cutting off the conical tops. And as much as my husband wanted me to make them I avoided it. But now that I see your yummy recipe I am tempted to make them again.
I hear ya! That's why I love that I can now buy it frozen and already cleaned up. I'm so lazy, lol.
I’m so interested in stringing the okra! What was the reason for this? I grew up with okra that was either fried and dipped in a sauce or boiled and drizzled with soy sauce. Later, I fell in love with it in gumbo. It tastes amazing in stews and can’t wait to try your recipe!
Carolann, I'm guessing they dried it to preserve it. It's an annual plant that grows in warmer climates. My home country has harsh winters, so you could only find it seasonally at farmer's markets. The demand wasn't big enough to grow it commercially back then. Now you can find it frozen and canned as well.
Jas,
I have not made this dish in years, since I lived in the middle East. I used lamb and beef and also did one with chicken and orka.
I am hungry for it now so it is on my make this week meals list.
Thanks for bringing back memories.
Hugs,
Bev
P.S. Thanks for sharing your Italian Slab Pie at Over The Moon party. That looks yummy too.
It's a beautiful, simple dish. We use chicken meat when we make okra soup. We call it beg (bey) soup because it's so special. 🙂 XO