This Okra Stew recipe is called Bamia/Bamya in Arabic and is the ultimate comfort food! This stew is loaded with tender lamb and tasty baby okra in a delicious tomato-based stew. Serve with Vermicelli Rice.
Sometimes referred to as "ladies fingers," okra often gets a bad rap for being slimy, but it all depends on the size of the okra and how you cook it! Baby okra are loaded with flavor and don't have nasty seeds or undesirable texture.
Okra Stew is even more amazing when cooked in a pressure cooker. While the lamb and the okra in this stew are always tender, they literally melt in your mouth when cooked in a pressure cooker.
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🧐 Why This Recipe Works
- Okra stew is so easy to prepare in an Instant pot!
- You can use beef, lamb, or even chicken.
- You can enjoy this dish without rice to cut down on carbs.
🛒 What Goes into This Recipe
🔖 Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Okra: Frozen baby okra can be found in most Middle Eastern markets. Although this recipe specifically calls for frozen okra, fresh okra is always preferred. Just make sure they are as tiny as possible. Larger okra contains large seeds and tends to have a slimy texture.
- Lamb: There is a widely held belief among many of my Assyrian friends that Okra Stew is best when cooked with lamb instead of beef. I have to agree. I will let you make the call, however, if you don't have any preference, definitely use lamb!
- Tomato Paste: 6 ounce can of tomato paste for the sauce.
- Spices: You'll need paprika and a touch of cayenne pepper for heat.
🥘 How to Make Okra Ladies Fingers Stew
Step 1: Season meat with salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper, if using.
Step 2: Add oil to the pressure cooker and choose "saute." Once the oil is hot, add the meat and sear for a few minutes. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté a few minutes longer.
Step 3: Dissolve tomato paste into 3-½ cups of hot water. Stir in lemon juice. Pour into the pressure cooker and stir to incorporate all the ingredients.
Step 4: Next, add the diced tomatoes and okra, stir once more. Lock the lid into place and set the vent to "Seal." Select "Pressure Cook" and set the time to 20 minutes. Prepare the vermicelli rice while the okra stew is being cooked.
Note: The Instant pot will take approximately 5 minutes to come to pressure.
Step 5: When the 20 minutes are up, do a "quick release" to release the pressure. When all the steam is released, remove the cover and stir once more.
Okra Ladies Fingers Stew (Bamia) is served over rice with a plateful of herbs and scallions on the side.
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus or Abelmoschus bammia) might be the most common name in the U.S., however, in some English-speaking countries, it is also known as "Lady fingers" or "Ladies' fingers."
The most obvious reason for this name is due to the shape of this edible, seed-bearing pod. The long, slender, and tapered ends of the okra pods make them similar in shape and size to the average ladies' fingers.
However, this is not the case with the baby okra that's used in this recipe. Baby okra are approximately 1" to 1-½" in length compared to the average okra, which can be anywhere from 2" to 6" or bigger.
Okra has a unique flavor that's mild when raw but the flavor really develops when okra is cooked. Although many dislike okra because they assume okra has to be slimy, that is not the case. The smaller the size of the okra, the less slimy they are. Interestingly, okra slime has its perks according to this post from Amanda Stone.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Before using frozen baby okra, make sure to rinse the okra in a colander under running cold water to remove any frost that may have formed on the okra.
- If you're worried about over-cooking the okra, try adding it after the stew has cooked for 20 minutes. Add the okra and choose the "saute" setting, then cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Pickled baby okra may also be used (and can be purchased in most Middle Eastern markets). If using pickled okra, be sure to follow the steps above so it does not overcook.
- In the Middle East, Bamia is sometimes served over torn chunks of bread instead of rice. A great way to make use of stale bread!
- Don't forget to serve some torshi on the side!
🍽 Related Recipes
If you enjoy this okra stew recipe, make sure you try these other delicious stews!
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📖 Recipe
Okra Stew (Bamia)
Equipment
- 1 pressure cooker
Ingredients
- 1½ teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1½ pounds lamb (cubed into large chunks)
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less)
- 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 3½ cups hot water
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 2½ tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 medium tomato (chopped)
- 1 bag frozen baby okra (14 ounces) (or 1 lb. fresh baby okra)
Instructions
- Season meat with salt, paprika, and cayenne pepper, if using.
- Add oil to the pressure cooker and choose "saute." Once the oil is hot, add the meat and sear it for a few minutes. Add onion and garlic and saute a few minutes longer.
- Dissolve tomato paste into 3½ cups of hot water and stir in lemon juice. Pour into the pressure cooker and stir to incorporate the ingredients.
- Next, add the diced tomatoes and okra, stir once more. Lock the cover into place and set the vent to "Seal." Select "Pressure Cook" and set the time to 20 minutes. Prepare the vermicelli rice while the okra stew is being cooked.
- When the 20 minutes are up, do a "quick release" to release the pressure. When all the steam is released, remove the cover and stir once more.
- Okra Ladies Fingers Stew (Bamia) is served over rice with a plateful of herbs and scallions on the side.
Notes
- Before using frozen baby okra, make sure to rinse the okra in a colander under running cold water to remove any frost that may have formed on the okra.
- If you're worried about over-cooking the okra, try adding it after the stew has cooked for 20 minutes. Add the okra and choose the "saute" setting, then cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Pickled baby okra may also be used (and can be purchased in most Middle Eastern markets). If using pickled okra, be sure to follow the steps above so it does not overcook.
- In the Middle East, Bamia is sometimes served over torn chunks of bread instead of rice. A great way to make use of stale bread!
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