Okra Stew, known as Bamya in Arabic, is a classic Middle Eastern comfort food made with tender okra simmered in a rich tomato and meat-based sauce. Flavored with plenty of garlic and a hint of pomegranate molasses (my secret!), this hearty stew is traditionally served over rice and enjoyed year-round. Whether you make it with beef, lamb, or veal, this authentic bamya recipe brings all the nostalgic flavors of a classic homemade dish.

Okra stew in a white handled serving bowl with a blue bowl with okra stew and rice, a blue bowl with rice, a white plate with whole green onions and parsley, a small white bowl with black pepper, a light green tea towel under the serving bowl on a white and blue tiled patterned background

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5-Star Review

“Wow super flavourful! I didn’t know I could make okra taste this delicious! Thanks Amina!”

—Hiba
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The Stew of My Childhood

As an Iraqi, I grew up looking forward to the smell of okra stew simmering on the stove, always alongisde a pot of vermicelli rice. I may be biased, but I think Iraqi style okra is the best. We use lots of garlic, and the magic touch is a little bit of pomegranate molasses to add a sweet and tangy note. The main flavour base is a lamb or veal broth, which I highly recommend, though you can also make it with beef or chicken.

As it simmers, the stew develops this luscious thickness due to the Okra’s natural thickening properties. At our home, it was this okra stew, fasolia or green bean stew on a strict weekly rotation! Today – I make them all quite often because my kids enjoy them so much.

A white plate with rice, okra stew made from a classic bamia recipe with chunks of meat in a tomato-based sauce, garnished with chopped herbs and served with two cucumber slices on the side.

My favourite type of okra to use is frozen young okra. They are mini in size and cook very easily to tender. If you buy fresh large okra, often times they can be quite difficult to tenderize so I skip them all together. These frozen ones are usually at my local middle eastern shop.

Package of frozen green okra on a blue and white tiled patterned background

How to Make Okra Stew With Meat

Gather your ingredients. You will also need tomato paste and pomegranate molasses which are not pictured below. For the meat, I love using bone-in veal cut into medium sized pieces.

TIP: Using bone-in meat for stews yields a more flavourful final result, due to the presence of bones which make the broth a lot richer.

Ingredient shot for okra stew with package of frozen okra at the top, a white bowl with chopped white onion, a whole head of garlic, a white bowl with veal cubes, a small white bowl of salt with a metal spoon in it and a small white bowl of black pepper on a blue and white patterned tile

Start by caramelizing the onions, then sear off the meat and brown it slightly. Add water and bring to a boil for 30-45 minutes until tender. You can also pressure cook it for 20 minutes instead, as a faster alternative.

TIP: Depending on the meat you are using and the specific cut, it may need a lot longer to cook until tender. Boneless stew beef pieces tend to take the longest, but veal and lamb are more tender and will cook faster.

A large white pot with handles with broth, onions and veal pieces on a blue and white patterned tile background
A large white pot with handles with broth, onions and veal pieces with a metal spoon in it on a blue and white patterned tile background

Frozen small okra can be used straight from the bag. If you’re using fresh okra, make sure to wash it well, and then just trim the top a little bit so as not to reveal any of the seeds. Make sure you don’t trim it too much, otherwise it will lose its shape when cooking and likely release that “sliminess”.

frozen baby okra on a white plate, along with a small bowl of roughly chopped garlic.

Once the meat is cooked and fork tender, add the frozen okra, the chopped garlic, and the tomato paste. You can also use passata or tomato sauce instead of the paste; both will work well. Season with salt and pepper.

Large white pot with broth, veal cubes, chopped onions, chopped garlic and frozen okra with a metal spoon on a blue and white patterned tile background
Large white pot with broth, veal cubes, chopped onions, chopped garlic, tomato puree and frozen okra with a metal spoon on a blue and white patterned tile background

Mix everything together very gently to avoid crushing the okra, add more water, then cover and simmer the stew for at least 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add the pomegranate molasses and check the tenderness of the okra and the meat. You may also adjust the salt as needed at this point. Okra, based on the variety, can take longer to cook.

Add more water if required and continue to let it boil for another 10-15 minutes. This stew takes roughly 1 hour for the meat and okra to tenderize and develop flavour, but it may be ready faster than that.

Large white pot with broth, veal cubes, chopped onions, chopped garlic, tomato puree and frozen okra all mixed together with a metal spoon on a blue and white patterned tile background

How to Reduce Sliminess of Okra

Okra can be slimy, and the best way to avoid or reduce sliminess is to leave it intact (like in this recipe) and not cut it into small pieces. Cutting it will release a lot of the “sliminess” and result in a thicker consistency. When slow cooked and in tact, there really isn’t any slime and it just becomes tender and delicious.

Okra stew in a white handled serving bowl with a blue bowl with okra stew and rice, a blue bowl with rice, a white plate with whole green onions and parsley, a small white bowl with black pepper, a light green tea towel under the serving bowl on a white and blue tiled patterned background

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Okra stew in a white handled serving bowl with a blue bowl with okra stew and rice, a blue bowl with rice, a white plate with whole green onions and parsley, a small white bowl with black pepper, a light green tea towel under the serving bowl on a white and blue tiled patterned background
4.97 from 33 ratings

Okra Stew (Middle Eastern Bamya Recipe)

Yield: 6 Servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Author: Amina Al-Saigh
Okra stew, or "bamya" in Arabic, is a classic dish served in many countries across the middle east. It's typically cooked with beef, lamb or veal and served with rice. It's so comforting and the best way to enjoy okra!
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Ingredients
 

  • 500 g veal, cut into medium pieces (you can substitute lamb or stewing beef – see notes)
  • 800 g frozen small okra, you can substitute fresh okra – see notes
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 6 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1.5 tablespoon pomegranate molasses, if unavailable, you can skip this – but highly recommend
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt, divided, more per preference
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • About 6-8 cups of water, added in stages

Instructions
 

  • Start by dicing the onion finely and add it to a stock pot along with the vegetable oil and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook it for 2-3 minutes until soft and translucent.
  • Season the veal pieces with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
  • To the pot with the onions, add the veal pieces and brown them from all sides for about 5 minutes.
  • Cover the veal with about 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and boil for 30 to 40 minutes, until the meat is almost very tender. You can also pressure cook the veal for 15 minutes. This step gives the meat a head start on cooking, since it often takes longer than the okra. See notes on doneness of meat.
  • To the same pot, once the veal is a bit more than halfway cooked, add the frozen okra to the pot along with the tomato paste, the roughly chopped garlic, the pomegranate molasses and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  • Add about 3-4 more cups of water in the pot, mix everything well, and bring to a rolling boil on medium heat for roughly 30 to 40 minutes.
  • After 30 minutes, check the tenderness of both the okra and the meat. If they are both still slightly firm, add more water (roughly 2-3 cups) and allow it to continue boiling for another 20 minutes.
  • Check the softness of the meat and okra, as well as the seasoning and adjust accordingly by adding more salt and pepper as needed. If okra and meat are both tender, turn the heat off and serve.

Notes

  • I recommend using good quality veal or lamb for this stew, as they are typically more tender than beef. However if all you have on hand is beef, that works fine too but expect a tougher consistency. 
  • Also for the meat, you can pressure cook it before starting the stew process to ensure it tenderizes in a short amount of time. If you’re using lamb or veal, they are more tender and may not require a pressure cooker; just give the meat a head start with cooking by boiling for 30 minutes or so before adding in the okra per recipe directions.
  • Small or young okra is recommended as it is much more tender than the larger okra. I do not recommend using large okra – it may need a really long time to cook, and sometimes it does not even soften. If you are using fresh okra, simply trim the top very slightly, trying not to expose the seeds, then continue with the recipe.
Serving: 1Serving, Calories: 261kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.05g, Cholesterol: 68mg, Sodium: 787mg, Potassium: 869mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1200IU, Vitamin C: 37mg, Calcium: 140mg, Iron: 2mg
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