• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Med Diet
  • Subscribe
The Matbakh
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Med Diet
  • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Recipes
    • Med Diet
    • Subscribe
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Egyptian

    Bamya Middle Eastern Okra Stew

    By Lily・Published: May 28, 2024・Updated: May 28, 2024・Post may have affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Bamya is a Middle Eastern okra stew made with baby okra, beef (or lamb), and a homemade onion tomato sauce.

    Bamya can be made in a few ways different ways in the Middle East, like with or without meat. This is an Egyptian version of okra stew with oxtail called bamya ma akawi.

    A few other hearty Middle Eastern dishes are bazella, fasoulia, Egyptian koshari, and Egyptian molokhia. My favorite way to serve this delicious stew is on top of buttery vermicelli rice.

    What's Great About This Recipe

    My favorite thing about this recipe is that all of the flavors come together into this savory, tender stew that literally melts in your mouth! This recipe does take a little bit of time, like koshari and mahshi crumb, unfortunately, but it's worth it! I have included some tips for speeding up this recipe (like using frozen Egyptian magic red sauce) in one of the sections below.

    Ingredient Notes

    Egyptian magic red sauce: Use fresh tomatoes (Roma, tomato on the vine, or beefsteak), onions, and garlic to make this homemade tomato sauce.

    tomatoes, onions, and peeled garlic cloves

    Okra: Frozen okra or fresh okra is suitable. However, I use frozen okra because it's convenient. I prefer baby okra, but large okra cut into 1" sections is good.

    frozen okra in a bag
    • Oxtail: I buy the oxtail already cut into 2" (5 cm) thick sections. Previously frozen oxtail is suitable. Substitute other cuts of meat like beef shank, boneless beef stew cubes, or boneless lamb chunks.
    • Spices: Cook the oxtail with cardamom, onions, salt, and a bay leaf prior to making the stew.
    ingredients to cook the oxtail

    How to Make Bamya Okra Stew

    Make this bamya recipe in three main steps: cook the meat, make the tomato sauce, and assemble the okra stew.

    Step 1: Cook the Meat

    In a large pot, add the oxtail, salt, pepper, water, bay leaves, and cardamom pods. Bring the oxtail to a boil, reduce to medium heat, and cover. Cook for about 1.5 hours, refilling the water as necessary. Once the oxtail is starting to get tender, remove it from the heat.

    Step 2: Make the Tomato Sauce

    While the meat is simmering, make the Egyptian magic red sauce. Don't use canned tomato sauce or take any shortcuts for this sauce.

    blend the garlic and onions together in a food processor

    Add onion and garlic to a food processor.

    blended onion in a food processor

    Pulse on high.

    blend the tomatoes in a blender

    In a blender, blend the tomatoes.

    strain the blended tomatoes to remove the seeds

    Strain the blended tomatoes with a strainer.

    fry the blended onion

    In a large stovetop pot on medium-high heat, add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic mixture. Fry the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes or until they start to change color. 

    cook the onion and tomato sauce

    Add the strained tomato puree, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover the pot, reduce to medium heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

    Step 3: Assemble the Okra Stew

    add the cooked oxtail to the onion and garlic tomato sauce

    Set the oven to 425 ℉ (218 ℃). In a large pot (see note), combine the tomato sauce with the cooked oxtail. Cover and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.

    adding frozen okra to the oxtail and tomato stew

    Remove the cover and add the okra to the pot. Cook on medium heat covered for 20 minutes.

    Egyptian bamia from the side

    If the pot can be put in the oven directly, put it in the oven. Otherwise, transfer the stew to an oven-safe dish and put it in the oven. Cook until a brown crust forms on top for about 30 to 45 minutes. Squeeze some lime juice on the oxtail stew before going in the oven.

    Serve with a side of white rice.

    Tips and Tricks

    • Cook the oxtail prior to making the stew. Oxtail can be tough if not cooked long enough.
    • Use frozen Egyptian magic red sauce. This means that you would have already prepared this sauce ahead of time, either storing it in the fridge or freezer.
    • Make the oxtail and magic red sauce the day before. Assemble the stew the night you want to eat it.
    okra and tomato sauce stew with oxtail.

    Substitutions and Variations

    • Substitute other cuts of beef or lamb in lieu of oxtail.
    • Use fresh large okra cut into small sections in lieu of baby okra.

    Storage

    Store the okra stew in the fridge for up to 4 days. Freeze the onion-tomato sauce in the freezer for up to 4 months.

    Egyptian Recipes

    • Egyptian minced molokhia with roasted chicken
      Egyptian Minced Molokhia with Roasted Chicken
    • homemade ful medames from scratch
      Egyptian Ful Mudammas
    • mulukhiyah with roz in a bowl
      Fresh Mulukhiyah with Roz (Jute Leaf Stew)
    • meat stuffed pita sandwich
      Hawawshi - Egyptian Minced Meat Pitas
    • koshari
      Egyptian Koshari Recipe (The Best I've Had)
    • egyptian mahshi crumb in a pot
      Egyptian Mahshi Crumb (Stuffed Cabbage Rolls)

    Join the Tribe

    Subscribe to The Matbakh Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or Pinterest pages. We also have a saucy newsletter.

    📋 Recipe

    okra and oxtail stew.

    Bamya Middle Eastern Okra Stew

    Author: Lily
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Egyptian
    Prep: 15 minutes mins
    Cook: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
    Total: 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate Email
    Servings 6
    This traditional Egyptian bamia recipe is made with oxtail, homemade tomato sauce, and okra.

    Ingredients
     
    US Customary - Metric

    For the Oxtail

    • 2 lbs oxtail or beef shank
    • 1½ quarts water
    • 1 onion
    • 8 cardamom pods
    • 2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • 2 bay leaves

    Homemade Tomato Sauce

    • 9 tomatoes medium sized
    • 3 onions medium
    • 9 garlic cloves
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Oxtail Stew

    • Egyptian magic red sauce (from above)
    • oxtail (from above)
    • 1 lb frozen or fresh okra see notes
    • 1 lime

    Instructions

    Cook the Oxtail

    • In a large pot, add the oxtail, salt, pepper, water, bay leaves, and cardamom pods.
    • Bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-high heat and cover. Cook for about 1.5 hours monitoring every 20 minutes to make sure the water isn't low. Refill the water as necessary (I add about 2 to 3 cups throughout the process of cooking).
    • Once the oxtail is starting to get tender, remove it from the heat. Strain the broth from the oxtail. Set the broth aside (this can be used for soup or be added to cook the rice).

    Make the Homemade Tomato Sauce

    • Peel and quarter onions. Peel garlic. Add to a food processor and blend on high. Set aside.
    • Quarter tomatoes. Add to a blender. Blend on high. Strain tomatoes. Set aside.
    • In a large stovetop pot on medium-high heat, add olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic mixture. Fry the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes or until they start to change color. 
    • Add the strained tomato puree, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover the pot, reduce to medium heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes.

    Prepare the Oxtail Stew

    • Set the oven to 425 ℉ (218 ℃).
    • In a large pot (see note), combine the tomato sauce with the cooked oxtail. Cover and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes.
    • Remove the cover and add the okra to the pot. Cover the pot. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
    • Remove the lid of the pot and squeeze the lime. If the pot can be put in the oven directly, put it in the oven. Otherwise, transfer the stew to an oven-safe dish and put it in the oven. Cook until brown crust forms on top for about 30 to 45 minutes.

    Notes

    1. Use a stovetop pot that can be put in the oven, so it can go directly from the stovetop into the oven (like a Dutch oven).
    2. This dish can be made spicy by adding a couple of hot peppers (when adding the okra).
    3. The nutrition facts do not include rice.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 2 cups | Calories: 397 kcal | Carbohydrates: 24 g | Protein: 33 g | Fat: 18 g | Saturated Fat: 6 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12 g | Trans Fat: 0 g | Cholesterol: 100 mg | Sodium: 257 mg | Fiber: 7 g | Sugar: 14 g

    More Authentic Egyptian Recipes

    • Egyptian recipes.
      The Best Traditional Egyptian Food Dishes
    • clotted cream with pistachios on top
      Homemade Ashta Cream
    • tahini halva cute on a plate
      Pistachio Tahini Halva
    • creamy and light hummus
      Creamy Vitamix Chickpea Hummus (Easy & Authentic)

    About Lily

    Howdy! My name is Lilian, but my friends call me Lily. I'm the founder and one of the recipe authors here at The Matbakh. I enjoy sunsets, long walks to the fridge, meaningful relationships, and anything related to food. I'm so happy you are here!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 1 vote

      Leave A Comment Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Sisal M.

      June 13, 2021 at 4:36 pm

      5 stars
      Ok so this is THE OXTAIL recipe that everyone needs to try. I would say the critical part in this is making sure the oxtail is cooked until it's completely tender falling off of the bone. Also, the oxtail and okra cooked in the oven for about 45 minutes until the okra was fork tender. You didn't have a cook time for the oven, so I just kept it in there until it finished. I really like this and will try it again.

      Reply
      • Lily

        June 13, 2021 at 4:39 pm

        Thanks for catching the part of the missing oven length of time! I'm going to update that now. I'm so glad you liked the recipe!

        Reply
        • Robb S

          February 04, 2023 at 2:15 pm

          Green or black cardamom pods?

        • Lily

          February 04, 2023 at 2:18 pm

          Green cardamom pods

    Primary Sidebar

    lily at the matbakh

    I'm Lily

    I'm an American Lebanese living in Texas. My kitchen, or matbakh, is a hodgepodge of recipes from the U.S. and Mediterranean region.

    ABOUT ME

    Mediterranean Desserts

    • basbousa semolina cake with honey and yogurt
      Basbousa Semolina Cake
    • baklava rolls
      Walnut Baklava Rolls
    • mafroukeh close up
      Mafroukeh Pistachio Dessert With Cream
    • pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing.
      Pumpkin Olive Oil Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

    Footer

    Stay Connected

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • X

    ↑ back to top

    Legal

    Privacy

    Terms

    Accessibility

    About

    The Matbakh

    About Me

    Med Diet

    Resources

    Shop

    Recipes

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 - 2025 Amooni Media LLC

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.