Egyptian Beef & Okra Stew Recipe (Bamya)

This Egyptian Beef & Okra Stew recipe is a blast from my childhood right here. Now that I’m all grown up with a family of my own, I miss my mom’s cooking more than anything. The funny thing is I never appreciated this dish growing up as we had it ALL the time! I never thought I’d be cooking it up in my own kitchen one day, but here we are. I channeled all my Egyptian heritage to try and make the most authentic okra stew around. And with A LOT of help from my mom, I’ve finally perfected this classic dish.

I made a few alterations to this okra stew in comparison to the way my mom makes it. She’s so amazing that she actually makes everything from scratch right down to the beef broth. I like to take shortcuts as you all know. So, I prefer buying ready-made beef broth. I also like adding a teaspoon of coriander and a splash of lemon for some extra, zesty flavor.

When it comes to the beef, you have a lot of options to choose from. My top two choices would be beef chuck or tri tip roast. But you can also buy packaged stew meat that’s already pre-cut for you. And although I’ve never personally tried it this way, many okra stew recipes call for the use of lamb instead of beef. Whichever type of meat you choose, cooking it in the tomato and beef broth will yield delicious, tender results.

For those who have never tried beef and okra stew before, you’ll be in for a treat. It’s a great recipe to practice some ethnic cooking because it’s not too difficult to make and the ingredients are easily found in most local grocery stores. The tomato sauce mixed with the beef broth gives the dish a rich, savory taste with a slight tang. The spices, garlic and butter add that extra kick of flavor and fragrance found in most Egyptian dishes. The beef and okra will soak all those mouthwatering flavors up as they simmer in the stew.

I can tell you right now your house will smell amazing while you’re brewing this stew up on your stovetop. It gave me some comforting, nostalgic memories that I never knew I missed so much. I’m excited to be sharing this Egyptian Beef & Okra Stew recipe with you all and I hope it brings some Egyptian culture to your dinner table. And if you do decide to make it, I’d highly suggest serving it with some white rice for a full meal. Enjoy! 😊

MORE EGYPTIAN RECIPES TO CHECK OUT NEXT!

1. Egyptian Kofta Meatballs
2. Stuffed Eggplants with Homemade Garlic Sauce
3. Egyptian Baklava with Homemade Syrup

Egyptian Beef & Okra Stew Recipe (Bamya)

Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

413

kcal

Egyptian Beef & Okra Stew – Also known as Bamya, this mouthwatering dish is full of authentic Egyptian flavors, tender beef and savory okra.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef (can be beef chuck, tri tip roast, stew meat, etc)

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 4 Tbs butter, divided

• 2 cans tomato sauce (8 oz each)

• 4 cups beef broth

• 2 tsp lemon juice

• 1 Tbs beef or chicken bouillon

• 1 tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• 24 oz frozen okra

• 5 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp coriander

Directions

• If your beef is not already cut up, make sure to chop it up into large, 2-inch cubes before cooking
• In a large pot, add 2 Tbs butter. Melt on medium heat. Add the onions and fry until lightly browned
• Add the cubed beef to the pot. Increase heat to med-high and cook until the beef is brown all around. Don’t cook it all the way through. Just enough to get a nice brown outer layer
• Add the tomato sauce, beef broth, bouillon, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Mix well and bring to a boil
• Once it starts boiling, add the frozen okra. Lower the heat back to medium and cook until the okra is completely tender (about 20 minutes)
• In a small frying pan, add 2 Tbs butter, the minced garlic and coriander. Fry for about 2 minutes until the butter is melted and the garlic is lightly browned
• Add the garlic mixture to the pot with the okra stew. Mix and cook for an additional 5 minutes
• Serve over white rice if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

• Calories & Nutritional Info may vary based on different brands and ingredients used. Nutritional Info below was calculated using Very Fit Well’s Nutrition Calculator.