🇮🇶 Iraq
Bamia
بامية · bāmya
A garlicky okra-and-lamb stew in a tangy tomato sauce, finished with pomegranate molasses and spooned over vermicelli rice.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb lamb (or beef) stew cubes
- 1 lb okra, small (fresh or frozen)
- 1 onion, chopped · 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, chopped (or ½ can diced) · 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tbsp oil · 4 cups water
- 1 tsp salt · 1 tsp paprika · ½ tsp black pepper · ¼ tsp cayenne
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses (or juice of 1 lemon)
Method
- Brown the lamb, cover with the water, and simmer 45 minutes until tender.
- Sauté the garlic in the oil until fragrant, then add the okra and cook gently a few minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, spices and the meat with its broth; simmer 20–30 minutes until the okra is tender.
- Stir in the pomegranate molasses at the end. Serve over vermicelli rice.
The family table
Handle the okra gently and don’t over-stir, or it turns slimy — many cooks roast or fry it first. The finish of pomegranate molasses (or lemon) and lots of garlic is what makes it Iraqi.
Yumma
Middle Eastern home cooking, organized by country. Your family’s version is the one that counts.