I was a non-vegetarian when I moved to Dubai a few years back. When I decided to follow a vegetarian diet in this city, I assumed that I would never be able to enjoy the local food which is meat-heavy. However, that decision gave me an opportunity to explore a lot of delicious vegetarian and vegan Arabic dishes which I didn’t even know existed in this cuisine. Today I am sharing one such very popular Lebanese dish called bamia. It’s a simple vegan and gluten-free dish that’s very comforting.
It’s a very popular dish in many countries in the Middle East and North Africa. You will find both non-vegetarian and vegetarian versions of this dish. Being a vegetarian, I am sharing the meat-free bamia recipe.
Ingredient notes and substitute suggestions
Okra: Use small baby okra to make this Middle Eastern stew. Frozen or fresh okra both can be used. Always pick fresh, tender, and small okra. Onion: I have used red onion, you can use brown or white too. Tomatoes: Use a juicy red variety of fresh tomatoes and chop them very finely to use in this dish. You can use canned tomatoes also. Tomato paste: It gives a very rich taste and color to the okra stew. Pomegranate molasses: You can easily find this ingredient in Middle Eastern grocery stores. If you can’t find it use lemon juice. However, once you make bamia with pomegranate molasses, you won’t like the taste of the one made without it. Seasonings: I have used basic spices that are used in Middle Eastern recipes like cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, and ground black pepper. You can easily find them all in a Middle Eastern or Indian grocery store. You can also add Lebanese 7 spice mix to flavor this delicious stew.
Step 2: Add frozen baby okra and cook for 6-7 minutes on medium heat. Keep stirring in between. Don’t stir okra too much otherwise they will turn slimy. Step 3: Add very finely chopped tomatoes. Step 4: Mix everything and cook for 8-10 minutes on a medium flame. Step 5: Add cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, ground black pepper, salt, tomato paste, and pomegranate molasses. Step 6: Mix everything and cook for 1-2 minutes. Step 7: Add water mix and cover the pot. Cook for around 20 minutes. Step 8: Garnish with chopped cilantro. Your delicious Lebanese okra stew- bamia is ready to be enjoyed.
If you want you can also serve it with an Arabic flatbread like pita bread. You can also serve a refreshing Arabic salad like fattoush or tabouleh on the side. Another side dish that non-vegans can pair with it is a refreshing yogurt and mint dip.
It also freezes well. To freeze, store in freezer safe airtight container with a lid and freeze. It will be fine for 3 months. To reheat, if the bamia is frozen thaw it first. You can then reheat it on the stovetop as well as in the microwave. Add some hot water to adjust the consistency and then reheat.
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