Okra Stew
Updated Nov 19, 2024
This Lebanese-style okra stew is hearty and full of robust flavors, with tender beef, stewed tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, and sautéed onions.
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Okra Stew (also called Bamyeh in Arabic) is a delicious hearty stew made with garlic, cilantro, tomato sauce beef and fresh or frozen okra. What I love about the stews we eat is that they are super easy to make in one pot, have a ton of nutrition and they are very comforting in the winter over a warm bowl of rice pilaf.
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Recipe At a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: Lebanese
Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
Dietary Info: Dairy-free
Key Flavor: Tomatoey, warm spices, and savory (thanks to the beef!)
Skill Level: Easy
Why This is So Good
- Authentic: When I got married, one of the first types of meals I wanted to learn from my mom was her Lebanese stews. There are so many of them, and she makes them the way her mom in Lebanon taught her to. Over the years, I’ve perfected the method and flavor to match that of my mom and her mom.
- Makes great leftovers: All of my Lebanese stews make a large batch that’s suitable for 8 servings. And because of how many different stews there are, I will make these almost every other week on a Monday, knowing I’ll have leftovers for the next day for the 4 of us.
- Great texture: One thing about okra that many people dislike is the slimy texture, but I share my tips below of the four things I do to ensure it’s not slimy and it works every time!
What is Okra?
Okra is a flowering plant that is completely edible and very popular in the Southern States. In my Arabic culture, we also grew up eating Okra in recipes like this Lebanese style Okra Stew (which we call bamia/bamya in Arabic).
How to Make Okra Stew
I like to cook up some beef stew meat to add to the recipe towards the end. You can use leftover beef that you may have and cook it in the pot before this okra stew recipe, set it aside, and then add it in at step 6.
Tips For Making the Best Okra Stew
- Use frozen okra in this recipe. Fresh okra will work, but it can become slimy once cooked. If you don’t like the usual texture of okra, you will love this recipe! Fresh okra can be more slimy than frozen okra because it’s exposed to more moisture.
- Cut the okra into very large chunks. This helps to prevent the slimy texture of okra if you are using fresh ones. But if you can, opt for smaller ones, fresh or frozen.
- Add lemon juice to the okra. When you add the okra to the pot, try adding half or a whole lemon. The acidity of the lemon juice can actually cut the sliminess of the okra.
- Don’t reduce the frying time or the oil. The longer you cook the okra in high heat with the olive oil, the more likely it will reduce the sliminess of the okra. You can even try baking it at first or air frying it, but I prefer to just fry it in the pot.
- Make it vegan. It’s traditional to make this with beef or even with chicken. But because it’s so hearty and filling, it can really stand on its own without any beef or chicken.
What to Serve with Okra Stew and Beef
- Lebanese Rice
- Batata Harra Lebanese Spicy Potatoes
- Cauliflower Rice
- Quinoa
Frequently Asked Questions
Let okra stew cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
Reheating: Reheat refrigerated stew on the stovetop over medium heat, adding water or broth if needed.
Yes, you can use chicken instead or you can make it entirely meatless by adding extra tomatoes and okra and it makes for a wonderful vegan dinner recipe.
Yes, this stew is great for make ahead and freezer meals. Let your okra beef stew cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. It will keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days and frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop over a gentle heat until warmed through to serve.
More Stew-type Dishes:
- Hearty Vegetable Stew
- Eggplant Stew
- Peas and Carrots Stew
- Lebanese White Bean Stew
- Middle Eastern Spinach Stew
- Peanut Soup
- Cauliflower Curry
- Easy Butter Chicken
- Red Lentil Curry
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Okra Stew
Ingredients
- 1 pound beef tips
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 (14-ounce) packages frozen baby okra
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 teaspoons 7 Spice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces tomato paste
- 4 Roma tomatoes chopped
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- In a heavy bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil, add the beef and cook for 4-5 minutes without touching. Flip over and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes. Set the beef aside
- In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil along with the garlic, cilantro and onions and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add the frozen okra, lemon juice, salt, pepper and 7 Spice to the garlic cilantro mixture and stir well, coating the okra with the mixture and breaking up the frozen okra. Cook the okra, stirring occasionally until the okra is fully cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, fresh cut tomatoes and water to the pan. Then return the beef, and mix to incorporate everything together. Lower heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Serve over traditional Arabic rice pilaf and sprinkle fresh cilantro for garnish.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Comments
I came across your recipe in a desperate search to recreate a dish I love after my local restaurant stopped offering okra stew. My question is that I have some ras el hanout in my pantry at home. Is that an acceptable substitute for the 7 spice blend in the recipe? Thanks!!!
Oh yes absolutely! I love ras el hanout and it has so much flavor. It’s going to make the recipe delicious! Hope you love it!
Thanks for this amazing recipe! Can I use lean beef instead as not sure what part is the beef tip? In the UK supermarkets they have different types of steak cuts or cubed lean beef, so not sure what will be the best? I usually boil the beef for 30 mins then add to okra but sometimes it comes out chewy. I just saw your recipe and noticed you fry the beef which is a much easier option. I will definitely give this a go next time.
Yes, I think that will work! Beef tips are a very lean cut of beef so that sounds like a good substitution. Let me know how it goes!!
I made some revisions. I browned the beef then added onion, garlic, and spices to beef. I used fresh parsley instead of cilantro. Once the onion was translucent and the garlic fragrant, I added canned diced tomatoes. Everything else was the same. It’s wonderful.
So happy you liked it, Judie! Love the tweaks you made, sounds so good!!
I follow your cooking on YouTube. I absolutely LOVE it. I will be trying this recipe tonight. Thank you so much
Thanks for the support, I hope you like the stew!!
Any idea how many cups 4 tomatoes will be? I have a chopped batch in my freezer that I’d love to use!
A large tomato yields about 1 cup chopped; a medium tomato yields 3/4 cup.
Perfect – thank you! Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Thank you so much for another beautiful recipe. I am Scandinavian but am married to a Lebanese guy. Your recipes are fool proof and I feel so happy that my in-laws love my cooking and tell me it tastes authentic (and I’m sure you know they’ll tell it like it is). Amazing!
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