It’s kinda funny, most people either like okra or simply hate it. The reason most people don’t care for it is not because it doesn’t taste good, but because most people don’t like the sliminess of it. I get it,
cause I don’t care for the slimy taste when you bite into it either. However, I really like the taste of okra itself. According to Mrs. Montazami the trick to keep the sliminess at bay is to make sure that the top portion is not cut all way though. Basically, just cut the stem. I found that mine came out just fine. There was a slight hint of it but the taste made up for it all!!
This khoresht believe it or not is probably the easiest to make and requires very little effort!
Ingredients
1 lb stew meat
1 large onion
5 garlic cloves
1 tsp turmeric
14 oz tomato can
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 lb okra
2-3 tbsp lemon juice
salt & pepper
oil
Fine chop onion and garlic. Saute in some oil until onion is translucent. Add turmeric and give it all a stir. Add meat, season with salt and pepper. Cook meat until browned on all sides. Add 2 cups of water, cover and cook on medium low for 2 hours until meat is tender. During this time make sure that the juices don’t completely evaporate.
Add can of tomatoes, 1 cup of water, and tomato paste. Mix well and let come to a simmer.
Cut the stems off the okra.
First add lemon juice and salt to the stew. Then add okra to the pot and cook covered for half hour on a low simmer. Stir the ingredients a few times very gently during the cooking time. The okra should be cooked all the way through but not to the point that it falls apart. It should still hold its shape.
Believe it or not, that’s it. Super easy right??
So how do you feel about Okra?!
February 6, 2011
okra is one of my favourite veggies. Can I still make this dish without the meat?
February 6, 2011
also,alternatively, can I still make it with chicken?
February 6, 2011
We have a similar stew in Lebanese cuisine; however we don’t add turmeric to it. I recently found out the health benefits of this spice and have been adding it more liberally in dishes. This is one example of a perfect stew, thank you!
February 6, 2011
@ Farhad, yes, of course you can make it without meat or with chicken. When making it with chicken cook it for less. I would say for one hour. 🙂
@tasteofbeirut, how interesting! Yes, turmeric is amazing. I just wrote a small piece about it on the newsletter that I sent out last week. In South Asia is referred to as one of the healing spices!!
February 13, 2011
What kind of meat would you typically use for this?
February 14, 2011
Coleen, I used stew meat that I purchased from my local Persian store.
February 26, 2011
This is wonderful to eat during the winter months!
April 17, 2011
I hated Okra when i was a child because it was slime and noone made this dish in my family except one of my aunts. Last year i bought half a pound okra, and just cooked it. The taste and the texture was not bad at all. So yesterday i decided to make that dish, and the result was really delicious!!!
thanks
August 22, 2011
I made this last night. I substituted chicken broth for the water. It was fantastic 🙂
November 28, 2011
The boyfriend’s mom made this for us yesterday. It is a delicious dish!
July 6, 2012
Thanks for thise wonderful website. Can I use frozen Okra? I know using fresh Ora is much better.
Thanks
Mehrdad
July 17, 2012
I love Bamia Khoresht, and your recipe sounds very yummy! I prepare mine like my Armenian mom (she was born in Julfa, Isfahan but now is gone) and rather than turmeric or garlic, the spices she’d use would be curry & cinnamon in her version of Khoresht. I use chuck roast for my meat in this dish. Sometimes I substitute the bamia and make with lubia (green beans) or green peas instead.
Ah, just writing about this makes me want to make a big pot of Bamia Khorasht this weekend 🙂
btw – As you wrote Farhad, definitely can make any Khoresht meatless, all the same ingredients sans meat or chicken and it’s just as tasty! (I do this at Lent when I make meatless dishes.)
So glad I found your website!
July 27, 2012
Mehrdad, you sure can use frozen okra!
February 5, 2013
Thank you Persian Kitchen for being a wonderful source for recipes. I wanted to add one thing to this one which is that when cutting the stems off the okra, to make sure you don’t cut so much off that you reveal the inside cavities of the okra, I remember I had to learn that when I first cut them and thought it would be helpful to mention. Thank you again for the recipes, you are an incredible resource.
June 2, 2013
Mom always made hers with potato. I assume you would add the potatoes about an hour in to the meat simmering?
February 26, 2014
Salam sweetie, am addicted to your blog just found it and I have been glued to it all day . When I don’t know what to cook , I always cook bamia , lol . I always keep a bag of frozen Bamia as stand by . I was though and seems to work that the younger the okra the less slime it will have so always use very tiny young okra . I’m trying to get in touch with my ancestral roots I would love it if you could please share recipes and culture from Khonj.
April 16, 2014
Hi! I’ve really been enjoying your blog, it’s my favorite website on the www at the moment. my background is Iraqui and i make bamia a couple of times a week because it’s so quick and easy. The iraqui version we make is even simpler, vegetarian, without the garlic or tumeric, but the most significant difference is we use a teaspoon or two of sugar which gives it a distinct ‘sweet and sour’ flavor. We usually use frozen okra, the younger the better. I find that fresh okra is really tough when out of season and doesn’t soften enough. I’ve had versions that incorporate mint and/or dill, which would probably work especially well in a bamia with stew meat.
i have to concede that Iranian cuisine is much better than iraqui! I’m trying to learn your traditions. But sugar in the bamia is worth a try! And i’m going to try your recipe next time. All the best from nyc
May 3, 2014
salam doost khobam
behet tabrik migam ke ba sabr v hosele dastoor pokht qazahaye irani ro b zaban englisi gozashti
komak bozorgi baraye kasanie k ba zaban farsi ashna nistan
faqat ye nokte ro begam:
bazi az dastoor pokhtat kami ba tarz pokht asli k to iran hast motafavete
dalil khasi dare?
January 16, 2015
I LI’ve this meal very so much especially cooked with tambrhendo
May 12, 2015
What kind of stew meat do you prefer?
May 25, 2015
Amanda, I like them all. Depends on my mood, but I love it all beef, lamb, veal…
March 15, 2016
Hello,
First of all I would like to say I love your website! It has perfect cooking directions as well as measurements, and great cooking tips.
My question is regarding the okra stew, can I make it completely vegetarian? If so, what kind of vegetable can I use instead of meat? wuld mushrooms be an option?
Thanks in advance for your advice,
Best
Sandra
Chicago,IL
March 23, 2016
Sandra, you can certainly make it vegetarian. You can use mushrooms or even some type of bean.