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–+ servings
okra and oxtail stew.
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5 from 3 votes

Bamya Middle Eastern Okra Stew

This traditional Egyptian bamia recipe is made with oxtail, homemade tomato sauce, and okra.
Servings: 6

Ingredients

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 note 5
  • 1 lime
US Customary - Metric

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

  • Add peeled onions and garlic cloves to a food processor. Blend on high and set aside.
  • Quarter tomatoes. Blend on high in a blender. 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.
  • Add the okra to the pot and cook on medium heat covered 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Substitute fresh large okra cut into small sections instead of baby okra.

Nutrition

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