• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Subscribe
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Finding the Forgotten Feast

  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • Stories
  • About
    • Public Events
    • Privacy Policy
  • Wild Game
    • Venison Recipes
    • Duck Recipes and Goose Recipes
    • Rabbits, Hares and Squirrels
    • Pheasants, Turkey, Quail
    • Dove Recipes
    • Wild Pig and Bear Recipes
    • My Best Taco Recipes
    • Wild Game Sauces
  • Charcuterie
    • Homemade Sausage Recipes
    • Smoker Recipes
    • Bacon, Jerky, Hams, etc
    • Salami Recipes
    • Confit, Pate, Terrines
  • Fish
    • General Fish Recipes
    • Salmon Recipes
    • Snapper Recipes
    • Crabs, Shellfish and Squid
    • Little Fish and Oddballs
  • Gathering
    • Preservation Recipes
    • Mushrooms
    • Sweet Things
    • Wild Greens and Herbs
    • Acorns, Nuts, Starches
  • Podcast
Home » African » Bamia: Egyptian Okra and Meat Stew

Bamia: Egyptian Okra and Meat Stew

By Hank Shaw on September 30, 2021 - 15 Comments

Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe Comment
5 from 10 votes
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Okra happens to be from Africa, and in the Eastern Mediterranean, from Egypt to Greece, it is called bamia. This bamia recipe happens to be Egyptian, but there are lots of variations on how to make this simple, yet satisfying, meat and okra stew.

Bamia recipe with meat and tomatoes
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Traditionally, a bamia recipe consists of lamb or goat, lots of tomatoes, and okra. Mine uses venison, but any red meat will do. For that matter, I won’t be sad if you sub in whatever you want, from chicken thighs to rabbit to fish or shrimp. 

You might have noticed that my okra looks unusual. It is a red variety adapted to my desert-like conditions called Yuma Red. Any variety of okra will work with this recipe, though, and you can of course use frozen okra or dried okra. 

I’ll also let you in on a secret: This okra is not slimy at all. At all. How, you ask? You dust the cut okra right the beginning of your prep with citric acid.

Wait, what? Yes. I learned from an Indian chef, Archna Malhotra Becker, who was cooking alongside me at a Heritage Fire event in Napa recently. She was grilling her okra, but she had dusted hers with powdered unripe mango. Acidity was the key, she said. Not having unripe mango powder, I used Fruit Fresh, which is powdered citric acid. Worked like a charm. 

Egyptian meat and okra stew in a bowl
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

Doing this returns the okra to its place as a nice vegetable in the stew, rather than as a gooey thickener. Either works, so you do you. 

My inspiration for this bamia recipe is the great Claudia Roden’s cookbook The New Book of Middle Eastern Food, which I highly recommend. Feel free to add chickpeas or potatoes to give this more heft, although I like it served alongside rice. 

I also used homemade venison stock, but if you don’t have any, low-sodium beef stock works fine. 

Venison stew meat is my preference here, so use that as a guide if you are not a hunter look for lamb or beef stew meat. Nothing else in this recipe is unusual, except for the dried lemons I use, and they are totally optional. 

You can buy dried lemons, or just desiccate some yourself. I keep mine suspended in a mesh bag in my hot, dry garage. They add a powerful lemon flavor, and you don’t eat them — they’re like bay leaves in that they add flavor in the long, slow simmer. 

Looking for more okra recipes? Try my Lowcountry Okra Salad, Creole Okra Gumbo, or my West African Okra Stew, which is great served over fried fish. 

Closeup of the bamia recipe in a bowl
Print Recipe
5 from 10 votes

Egyptian Meat and Okra Stew

Feel free to play with the protein in this -- I use venison but lamb, goat, beef, or even chicken or fish would work. Just adjust cooking times accordingly.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time2 hrs 30 mins
Total Time2 hrs 50 mins
Course: lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: North African
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 318kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 pounds venison, cubed
  • 2 large yellow onions, chopped
  • 2 Anaheim chiles, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 dried lemons, cracked (optional)
  • 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 quart venison or beef stock
  • 1 pound okra, sliced
  • lemon juice to taste
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large, lidded pot like a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Salt the meat well and brown it in batches. Pat it dry with paper towels and don't let the pieces touch. You might need to raise the heat to full blast to prevent the meat from steaming. You want it to be well browned on at least 2 sides. Move pieces to a bowl as they brown. This will take you about 15 minutes.
  • When the meat has browned, add the onions to the pot. Add a little extra olive oil if you want. Stir the onions around with a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits in the pot. Let them sauté until soft and a little brown. Add the green chiles and the garlic and cook another 2 minutes, stirring often.
  • Return the meat and any juices to the pot, add the coriander, cardamom, tomato paste and some salt and mix well. Let this cook a minute, then add the tomatoes and stock. Add the dried lemons if you happen to be using them. Bring to a gentle simmer and taste for salt. Cover the pot and cook for 2 hours. If you are using lamb or beef, you'll only need to cook this for about 90 minutes, or even less.
  • When the meat is tender, add the okra and lemon juice. Simmer about 15 more minutes, then add black pepper to taste. Serve with rice.

Notes

If you want to bulk this up a bit, add chickpeas, fava beans or potatoes... or all three. 

Keys to Success

  • If you want to de-slime the okra, toss it in a bowl with some citric acid (Fruit Fresh) right at the beginning, letting it sit as everything else cooks. You'll need only about a tablespoon or two. 
  • Take your time browning the meat. This develops a lot of the flavor, so don't rush things. 
  • You can add more okra if you want, up to another pound. 
  • This isn't normally spicy, but I do like a little hot paprika or cayenne in it. 
  • Once made, this will keep for a week in the fridge. It doesn't freeze well. 

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 501mg | Potassium: 1125mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 624IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 6mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @HuntGatherCook or tag #HankShaw!

Thanks for Sharing This!

600 shares

Filed Under: African, Featured, Recipe, Venison, Wild Game

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Avatar for ArdenArden says

    December 7, 2022 at 3:37 pm

    Can I use Frozen Okra in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      December 7, 2022 at 3:47 pm

      Arden: Absolutely. Add them right from the freezer, maybe 15-20 minutes from the end of cooking.

      Reply
  2. Avatar for Mike NeelyMike Neely says

    October 7, 2021 at 6:08 am

    Great trick with the okra and fantastic recipe! Thanks!

    Reply
  3. Avatar for ElEl says

    October 5, 2021 at 7:35 am

    Great tip about the acid cutting the okra slime! I have a supply of amchur (dried mango powder) lying around for Indian recipes and will have to try your friend’s original suggestion next time I prep some okra.

    Reply
  4. Avatar for AnnieAnnie says

    October 3, 2021 at 1:41 am

    I didn’t know this trick about Okra. Thanks to your friend for teaching that simple technique to de-gooefy an otherwise tasty vegetable 🙂

    Reply
    • Avatar for Loretta GartmanLoretta Gartman says

      October 5, 2021 at 5:05 pm

      I made this tonight, with my modifications and it was great!
      I used okra I grew, some pink and some green. I cubed a venison roast and made dehydrated lemon slices since I couldn’t dehydrate whole lemons. I wasn’t sure how to use citric acid to deslime okra (I don’t mind slime anyway). I didn’t know whether to rinse the citric acid or not, so didn’t.

      Reply
  5. Avatar for Ron BeloteRon Belote says

    October 1, 2021 at 9:37 am

    The acid in the tomatoes will decline the okra. This is one of the secrets to making gumbo. No need for mango powder or citric acid powder.

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      October 1, 2021 at 11:17 am

      Ron: I bet you’re right, actually. Hadn’t thought of that.

      Reply
  6. Avatar for RonRon says

    September 30, 2021 at 10:21 am

    This sounds great! I was introduced to fried okra at an Army mess hall in Alabama. Loved it ever since!

    Reply
  7. Avatar for DarleneeDarlenee says

    September 30, 2021 at 8:39 am

    this sounds amazing but do you want citric acid to help de-slime this or ascorbic acid which is fruit fresh or can we use either?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      September 30, 2021 at 8:42 am

      Darlenee: Fruit Fresh is a mix of both acids, and yes, that’s what you want. Good catch! I will note that it’s both in the post.

      Reply
  8. Avatar for Bobby NationsBobby Nations says

    September 30, 2021 at 7:02 am

    Hank,

    Is that two entire dried lemons, or two dried lemon slices? Don’t want to make the Chipotle vs can of Chipotle mistake. 😉

    Cheers,

    Bobby

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      September 30, 2021 at 7:54 am

      Bobby: Ha! Yes, two whole ones, but the ones I use are very small, like no bigger than a golf ball. Maybe start with one?

      Reply
  9. Avatar for TadTad says

    September 30, 2021 at 5:54 am

    Thanks Hank!

    I will be picking the last of my Okra on Saturday – here in North Carolina.

    Now I have a killer recipe to prepare it!

    Tad

    Reply
  10. Avatar for Allen b CarstensenAllen b Carstensen says

    September 30, 2021 at 5:12 am

    Mom always served slimy okra. I hated it. I’ll have to try it again now!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Hank Shaw holding a rod and reel in the American River

Hi, my name is Hank Shaw; I’m a James Beard Award-winning author and chef. I started this site back in 2007 to help you get the most out of all things wild: fish, game, edible wild plants and mushrooms. I also write cookbooks, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

More about Hank...

Featured Recipes

Closeup of sliced, smoked venison backstrap on a platter
Venison 101: How to Cook Venison
Stinging nettles growing in Northern California
Harvesting and Cooking Nettles
Braised turkey wings recipe on a plate
Braised Turkey Wings
Fiddlehead stir fry
Fiddleheads Stir Fry with Pork
A bunch of ramps ready to cook.
13 Ramps Recipes to Try This Spring
turkey leg stew recipe
Turkey Leg Stew

As Seen In

As seen on CNN, New York Times, Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart, Food and Wine, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Field and Stream, Outdoor Life, and The Splendid Table

Never Miss a Recipe

Receive recipes direct to your inbox.

 

 

Back to Top
  • Home
  • Shop
  • Video Course
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Stories
  • Wild Game
  • Charcuterie
  • Fish
  • Gathering
Subscribe by email Connect on Facebook Connect on Pinterest Follow Me on Instagram

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

© 2023 Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, All Rights Reserved.

Site built by: Site by Status Forward

600 shares
  • Print
  • Pinterest
  • 192Facebook
  • WhatsApp
  • Save
  • Email
600 shares
  • 192