Bamya Recipe

Bamya in a bowl with basmati rice and okra.

5 from 2 votes

Bamya is a popular stew in the Middle East made with okra and tomato sauce. While it is sometimes served with meat, this version is a delicious vegetarian meal served over rice.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Iraqi

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Servings

Calories 232kcal

Author Alexandria Drzazgowski

Equipment

Pot(s)
Citrus Juicer

Ingredients

6 oz okra frozen
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic roughly minced
½ peel from an orange
½ tablespoon salt
3 cups of water divided
8 oz tomato sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 cups of cooked rice of your choice basmati, brown, cauliflower, etc.

Instructions

Wash 6 oz frozen okra under warm water until they are a little soft.
Add 3 tbsp vegetable oil to the bottom of a medium sized pot. Then add the minced garlic, okra, peel from ½ an orange, and ½ tbsp salt. Cook for about 3 minutes or until you can smell the garlic.
Add two cups of water to the pot, mix gently, and add a lid onto the pot. Bring to a boil on medium heat for roughly 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, add 8 oz of tomato sauce and one more cup of water.
Add 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp granulated sugar.
Gently mix and let simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Check the softness of the okra, as well as the seasoning and adjust accordingly. If okra is soft, turn heat off, remove the orange peel, and serve the bamya over a bed of cooked rice.
Enjoy!

Notes

Okra: Look for small, frozen okra in your local Middle Eastern grocery store. You can also use the standard size okra or fresh okra if necessary.
Orange Peel: Most Bamya recipes do not call for the orange peel but it adds a citrusy sweetness to the dish that I enjoy.
Rice: You can serve this dish with a side of vermicelli rice, white rice, brown rice, or basmati rice
You can use full-sized okra if that’s the only thing you can find. It may need to cook for a few extra minutes. The frozen bags of small okra are easily found at an Arabic grocery store.
Some recipes use lamb to add a protein to this recipe. You can also use chunks of cubed stew beef if you’d prefer! This is a vegetarian version.
Some recipes call for using onions. Feel free to slice up a small onion and saute diced onions with the garlic for a couple of minutes if you’d like.