Suzy Eats

Okra is a low-carb vegetable that is commonly eaten in the Mediterranean Diet. It is high in vitamins C and K. One cup of okra has ~30 calories, no fat or cholesterol and 2g of fiber. It is slimy in nature, so to reduce it is usually cooked with tomatoes or something else acidic such as vinegar. The recipe below is for a traditional dish called Bamia.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of fresh okra, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound lamb meat, cubed
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1 cup water
• 4 tomatoes, chopped or 16 ounces tomato sauce

How To:

1. Trim the okra stems. Rinse, drain and dry with a paper towel. Chop into appropriate size.

2. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to a large stew pan. Add the onion and cook until yellowish color.

3. Add the lamb to the onion and brown on all sides. Add the salt, pepper, and allspice to the meat.

4.  Add water, tomatoes (or tomato sauce) and corn starch. Cover and cook for ~2 hours until the meat is nearly cooked.

5. In a separate frying pan, add the okra, crushed garlic and lemon juice. Cook until okra is lightly brown.

6. Remove okra mix from pan and pour directly onto the lamb stew. Cook for an additional 1 hour.

7. Serve with rice or bread and enjoy!

Serves: 6

Tips:

The longer you cook the meat…the more tender it will be. You can  cook it for as little as 1 hour and do step 4 for 40 minutes and step 6 for an additional 20 minutes, but lamb may not be as tender. It will still taste great though 🙂

Can substitute lamb for chicken or beef. Can also make this vegetarian and skip out on the meat 🙂

Healthier version: you can skip out on frying the okra andd just add directly to the stew.