SAEDNEWS: Khoresht Bāmieh” is one of Iran’s delicious and well-known stews. Although its origins trace back to the south of the country, its extraordinary flavor has made it popular and cooked all across Iran.
Okra stew is one of the popular local Iranian stews, originally from the south of the country. However, due to its amazing taste, it is cooked almost everywhere in Iran. One of the reasons for the widespread popularity of okra stew is the exceptional nutritional value of okra.
The most famous dish made with okra is okra stew with meat. There is also an Arabic version of okra stew, which uses various spicy seasonings such as different types of peppers. Read below for the method to prepare okra stew.
Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
Red meat | 400 g |
Okra | 300 g |
Tomatoes | 3 |
Onion | 1 large |
Lemon juice | 2 tbsp |
Tomato paste | 1 tbsp |
Garlic | 1–2 cloves |
Salt, pepper, turmeric | As needed |
Step 1:
Peel the onions, wash them, and finely dice. If you don’t want the garlic to be noticeable while eating, you can grate it. This is optional and based on personal preference.
Step 2:
Sauté the garlic and onions in a suitable amount of oil until soft.
Step 3:
Add turmeric and pepper to the onions and sauté until the onions change color.
Step 4:
Add the meat to the onions and sauté until it slightly changes color.
Step 5:
Cut the tomatoes, remove the seeds, and grate the flesh.
Step 6:
Add the grated tomatoes to the stew and mix well so the tomatoes blend into the ingredients.
Step 7:
Add the tomato paste to the stew and sauté.
Step 8:
Add enough water to the stew, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer slowly.
Step 9:
In a separate pan, fry the okra in some oil until lightly browned.
Step 10:
Add the okra to the stew and mix.
Step 11:
Add salt to taste and stir.
Step 12:
Add lemon juice, mix, and let the stew cook completely.
Final Step:
You can also garnish and serve this delicious dish with potatoes.
You can make okra stew with chicken instead of red meat.
You may also add split peas to the stew.
Saffron enhances the flavor of the stew.
Add okra only after the meat has cooked for about an hour.
In some provinces, tamarind paste or pomegranate paste is used instead of tomato paste.
For a slightly sour taste, you can use verjuice. Fresh or frozen verjuice can be used.
To prevent the stew from becoming slimy, leave a bit of the okra stem on.
After adding okra, do not cook the stew too long, or the okra will overcook and make the stew slimy.
Frying the okra before adding it prevents sliminess.
Soaking okra in lemon juice or vinegar before cooking also reduces sliminess.
Serve okra stew fresh, as reheating it multiple times can make it slimy.
Avoid stirring the okra too much to prevent it from falling apart.
Add enough water from the start and avoid constantly adjusting the liquid to maintain the stew’s consistency.
Keep the heat low to prevent okra from overcooking.
Additional Notes:
Preparation time: ~15 minutes
Cooking and waiting time: ~2 hours 30 minutes
Okra stew can be served for lunch or dinner, and during Ramadan, it can be eaten for suhoor.
The ingredient quantities and recipe serve approximately 4 people.
