Khoresht Bamieh (Persian okra stew) is a thick and hearty stew made with beef or lamb, okra, and tomato paste. After a few hours of simmering on the stove, the beef or lamb becomes fork-tender, and okra creates a nice thick flavorful broth. This stew originally belongs to the southern regions of Iran. I guarantee it will become one of your regular family meals.
About This Recipe
Okra stew is one of the traditional Iranian dishes and it can be prepared with or without meat. Khoresht Bamieh has very simple and few ingredients that can be easily replaced with other ingredients to suit all tastes. Iranians usually serve this stew with rice. Shirazi salad, pickles, and Sabzi Khordan are usually preferred as side dishes.
What You Will Need For This Recipe
- Okra: The stickiness in Okra is caused by something called mucilage, which is also found in Aloe Vera. To avoid mucilage you should dry them well before cooking and trim off the very tip of the stem. Choose smaller and fresh okra for the stew. Okra should be completely green and not have brown or black spots. Trim off the very tip of the stem with a paring knife. First, you should fry the okra in a bit of oil. Heat oil in the pan and then add the okra and stir gently until soft. Then you can add it to the stew. You can easily pack and freeze fried okra in the right sizes for your meals.
- Meat: The most delicious form of this stew in my opinion is cooked with lamb meat but you can also use beef and chicken to cook this stew.
- Tomato Paste: Okra stew is thickened by adding tomato paste. You can also use tomato puree instead of tomato paste. But, tomato paste gives a nice red color to the stew.
- Onion: Onions should be finely chopped. It is best to use yellow onions.
- Ab-Ghooreh (unripe or ‘sour’ grape juice): Ab-Ghooreh or lemon juice adds a slightly sour taste to the stew. This is characteristic of most Iranian stews.
How to Make Okra Stew
- Chop the onion and fry in some oil until soft. Cut lamb into small cubes then add it to the onion and saute until brown. Add turmeric, spices, and pepper.
- Add tomato paste and stir well for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender, 2 to 3 hours.
- Wash the okra and trim off the very tip of the stem with a paring knife.
- Sauté the okra over high heat with a little oil, stirring all the while until soft.
- After the meat is cooked, add okra, salt, and Ab Ghooreh or lemon juice.
- Cover and lower heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes until okra is fully cooked and the sauce thickens.
- Serve the stew with fluffy Persian rice.
Spices and Seasoning
To prepare a delicious okra stew, you can also use unripe grape or unripe grape juice(Ab Ghooreh) instead of lemon juice. It is better to freeze it before using it so that it tastes better, fresh unripe grape makes the stew a little bitter. For okra stew, spices such as cinnamon and saffron are used.
FAQ and Pro Tips
What to Serve With Okra Stew?
You can serve okra stew with Shirazi salad, pickles, or a fresh herb platter (Sabzi Khordan).
How Long Do Leftovers Last?
Leftover Khoresht Bamieh will keep well in the fridge for 1-2 days and can be reheated on the stovetop. The sauce will likely be very thick so before reheating add an extra splash of water or stock to loosen the texture before cooking.
Looking for More Persian Recipes?
- Kookoo Sabzi Recipe
- Albaloo Polo Recipe
- Tahchin Recipe
- Reshteh Polo Recipe
- Baghali Polo Recipe
- Sabzi Polo Recipe
Ingredients
- 300g okra(fresh or frozen)
- 300g lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 tablespoons Ab-Ghooreh or fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups of water
- Turmeric, salt, and pepper as needed
- Oil
Instructions
Step 1
Chop the onion and fry in some oil until soft. Cut lamb into small cubes then add it to the onion and saute until brown. Add turmeric, spices, and pepper.
Step 2
Add tomato paste and stir well for 2-3 minutes.
Step 3
Pour 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender, 2 to 3 hours.
Step 4
Wash the okra and trim off the very tip of the stem with a paring knife.
Step 5
Sauté the okra over high heat with a little oil, stirring all the while until soft.
Step 6
After the meat is cooked, add okra, salt, and Ab Ghooreh or lemon juice.
Step 7
Cover and lower heat to low and simmer for 30-40 minutes until okra is fully cooked and the sauce thickens.
Step 8
Serve the stew with fluffy Persian rice.
