Bamia

Probably one of the easiest thing I've had to do for this blog has been choosing the first recipe. Bamia, is and always will be, my favorite dish. At least a dish I can (and you!) make without needing to go to a specialty store. This blog will serve as a safe place for me to accumulate all the recipes and dishes my mom teaches me over the course of my life, and hopefully, it will also serve as a great place for easy and accessible lebanese recipes. 

Trust me, if I can do it. You can.

Ingredients

1/2 lb of beef for stew (cubed)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup of chopped cilantro

1 medium sized onion

1 12-ounce bag of whole okra 

3 medium tomatoes 

2 tablespoons tomato paste 

Salt and Pepper 

Olive oil

Time: An hour and 20 minutes. Serves 4.

Directions:

In a large pot, brown meat in two tablespoons of olive oil for about 10 minutes.  Add garlic and cilantro into pot, mix. Add five cups of water into pot and boil.

In a separate pot, fry onion (about 3 mins) until soft. Add okra and tomatoes. Fry for 15 minutes. 

Once water boils, add okra, onion, and tomato mixture into pot.  Then add tomato paste. Let boil for 40 minutes. You can choose to boil for longer, the longer it boils and thickens, the richer and tastier it will be.

Serve with a side of rice.

Bon appetit!

Lola and Elaine