Okra Stew

5 from 245 votes

This Okra Stew is a hearty Lebanese style recipe with robust flavors of stewed tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and sauteed onions - the whole family will enjoy!

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Okra Stew (also called Yakhnit 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.

Okra Stew in a bowl with white rice
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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).

2 image collage showing the fresh okra on a long plate before an after cutting

How to make okra stew

  1. Soften the garlic, onion and cilantro.
  2. Add the okra and spice and cook.
  3. Add in the tomatoes.
  4. Add in the tomato paste.
  5. Add n the water.
  6. Add in the cooked beef and simmer until thick.
6 image collage to show how to make the recipe

Tips to make this stew

  1. 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!
  2. Cut the okra into very large chunks. This helps to prevent the slimy texture many don’t like or you can buy the mini small okras
  3. 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.
  4. 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

Frequently asked questions

What do you eat this stew with?

Like most of my traditional Lebanese stews, we love eating them with Lebanese rice. You can also eat this on its own, with brown rice or with quinoa

Can you make it with chicken?

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.

Can you make it ahead of time?

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.

 Spoon going into Okra Stew in a white bowl

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Okra Stew

This Okra Stew is a hearty Lebanese style recipe with robust flavors of stewed tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and sauteed onions – the whole family will enjoy!
5 from 245 votes
Servings 6 servings
Calories 311
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound beef tips
  • 3 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 teaspoon 7 Spice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 ounces tomato paste
  • 4 vine-riped tomatoes chopped

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, 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 4 cups of water to the pan. Then return the beef tips, 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.

Notes

Storage: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and they will keep for around 3 days. You can also freeze the stew and it will keep for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 311kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 53mg, Sodium: 208mg, Potassium: 751mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1215IU, Vitamin C: 29.1mg, Calcium: 93mg, Iron: 2.7mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Course: Main Course

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. I have multiple Lebanese cookbooks. I have to say this is the best recipe for Bamya that Ive tried. Thank you.

    1. Hi JJ, yes you can use canned diced tomatoes instead I would just use one 14.5oz can. You’ll have to let me know what you think of it after you make it!

  2. Hello! I can’t find frozen okra where I live. Would this recipe also work with fresh okra? In this case they are purple okra. Never seen them before but that’s all I could find.

  3. When my friend taught me to make this, she had me boil the beef for 2 or 3 hours, then use the broth in place of water. I noticed you do not do this. Will the meat still be soft?

    1. The tomatoes are really a key ingredient here, I am not sure how it will turn out or taste without them.

  4. Hello Yumna!
    Have you ever cooked the okra in the airfryer instead? For this recipe?
    Will be trying this recipe tomorrow!!
    Thanks a lot!

    1. Hi Mariane, can’t wait for you to try it! I have not tried cooking the okra in the Air Fryer for this recipe. The okra is supposed to be soft and stewed. Any crisping would be undone when added to the base of the stew.

  5. Hi Yumna!

    Long time listener, first time caller! I was just wondering if its possible to use ground beef for this recipe or is that going to get my arab card revoked?

  6. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare okra. It’s so flavorful and hearty! My husband will request that I make this if I leave it more than a week between.

  7. This is amazing. I used chicken instead of beef however the flavours were still so good. This is a recipe i have added to my collection. I will definitely be making this frequently.

    1. It’s actually traditional to make this with beef or even with chicken! I love that you’ll be adding it to the collection! Yay!!

  8. Hi Yumma, so excited to try this. Looks like how my sister used to make it. Just a question as a bit of a new cook, to sear the beef do I cook it all the way through or will it cook through in the sauce? Also, what temp should I sear it on, medium? Thank you, take care

    1. Hi Beck, good question! I like to sear the beef on medium high heat for 4-5 minutes per side. You just want to get some color on it but there’s no need to cook it all the way through since it will cook in the sauce. I’ll add this detail to the recipe too. thank you!

  9. I’m a Nigerian,a caterer and I love this dishe,plz can I get d recipes in d supermarket?here in my country?

  10. Would using fresh okra from my garden change things at all? Beside cutting the cooking time down due to it not being frozen?

  11. My Lebanese mother-in-law taught me how to make this with rice. I’m a vegetarian so I leave out the meat and hate cilantro so delete that also – still fabulous dish. I could eat this several times a week (and I do). I buy the frozen okra to make it easy – also use frozen peppers and onions mix – but I do use fresh garlic. Love this!

  12. Hi Yumna, I recall my grandma using pomegranate molasses in her okra recipe.. is this something you would add if you made it. Thank you.

    1. Oh that makes sense and yes, I would totally recommend doing that but just a 1 teaspoon is sufficient.

      1. I made this recipe last night w/o adding the pomegranate molasses. Food was very very good with rice and with quinoa (hubby dieting). For sure next time I will add the molasses! So far all of the Lebanese recipes I’ve tried, have been a homerun!

        Thank you!! 🙂

    1. You can actually do it both ways. If you find the baby okra, I recommend keeping it small. If you find really large okra, you can cut into smaller pieces. Hope you like it!

    1. Not really, I rely a lot on the taste of the garlic and cilantro. However, I do add 7 Spice sometimes. I think you can definitely add other spices or chiles though!

    2. I love this recipe. It’s amazing!! Made some mods – used a combo of garam masala, paprika, and Italian seasoning because I didn’t have seven spice on hand.
      Totally skipped the beef and didn’t substitute anything. Great recipe! very forgiving.

      1. Hi there! so happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe and loved your modifications! I make this often without the beef, so I’m happy it worked out for you!

      2. I made it with the same mods minus the paprika and Italian seasoning and it was amazing. Since I didn’t add beef, I used a bit of beef bouillon and black pepper to deepen the flavor. I served it with cauliflower rice. Seriously good!!!

  13. My friend is Armenian and he made me a recipe very similar which I was looking for but his had lemon in it. I will try making this and just add a little lemon. Thanks for the recipe

    1. So awesome! I hope you enjoy it! And I often add lemon to it as well actually, so I think that’s an excellent addition!

  14. Hello!,
    I love your recipes, please continue sharing you are a life saver.
    I have a quick question, on the step 3, adding the beef tips, are these already fried or raw?…
    Thank you.

    1. Hi Fatima – You’re so sweet and thank you for your review!! To answer your question on Step 3 the beef can be boiled or seared before you put it into the stew. Enjoy!!

  15. I was gifted a lot of tomatoes and okra, so I was excited to come across your recipe. I tripled the recipe. It was nice to hear my family of 7 expressing they enjoyed it. Thank you

  16. I want to thank you for this recipe. Although I haven’t made it yet (I will tonight), I have to tell you that while reading over your recipe my stomach began to growl LOL. I am Filipino and okra is used in a lot of our vegetable recipes and am always open on how other cultures prepare certain ingredients.

    1. Hi Josie – That’s really cool that you use okra in lots of your dishes! I hope you love this one. It’s one of my favorite dishes 🙂

    1. Hi Gloria! That’s so great to hear! I’m going to be listing more Lebanese stews and Lebanese recipes on my site so hope you try more! 🙂