Persian Okra Stew (Khoresh Bamieh)

A wonderful way to showcase okra is to cook up this delicious Persian Okra Stew (Khoresh Bamieh) made with beef or lamb and tomatoes.

The colder seasons seem to spark this conversation of “comfort foods.” Of course, comfort foods are different for everyone. For our family, it usually evokes images of Persian stews. They are warm, hearty, full of vegetables and meats of your choice, and always served with fluffy, aromatic basmati rice. Can you smell the saffron????

Some friends were coming over for dinner to sample Persian food and I was at my local Middle-Eastern market checking out the fresh vegetables when I found okra was on sale. Yes, okra in October. We’re in Southern California, okay?

Bamieh versus Bamieh

In farsi, bamieh means “okra.” So khoresh bamieh is a traditional Persian okra stew made with beef (or lamb) and tomatoes. Bamieh is also known for something else, too.

There is the sweet dessert called bamieh. It is a fried dessert that is crunchy on the outside, but soft and moist inside. It is soaked in a sweet syrup scented with rosewater.

This post is dedicated to the Persian okra stew, khoresh bamieh. I’ll save the bamieh dessert for another post!

Why you must try this recipe

Okra is definitely one of those under appreciated vegetables. Of course, the southern part of the US knows what a real gem okra can be. Like most Persian stews, khoresh bamieh begins with the browning of onions in turmeric. The onions are cooked slowly until the are almost translucent and golden yellow.

The stew meat is then added and browned. You can buy stew meat already cut, or you can use London broil or a chuck roast and cut it into 1-inch pieces. You can also use beef shanks. If you prefer lamb, lamb shanks can also be used for the meat in this okra stew.

I am always curious at how khoresh bamieh is prepared in the different regions of Iran. My mom’s family is from Kermanshah, the eastern town close to the Iraqi border. My mother-in-law is from the north part, near the Caspian Sea. I asked her for any tips or family secret ingredients she used for khoresh bamieh.

She laughed and answered, “You know, I’ve eaten the stew many times. I love this stew, but I’ve never made it!” She was quite surprised at her own revelation!

So, I jumped in head first, as I always do, and came up with this wonderful recipe. My husband was happy with it, and my American friends loved it, too. The stew is served on a bed of fluffy basmati rice. My kind of comfort food for the fall or any time you can find fresh okra in the market!

Ingredients you need

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• Beef stew meat: You can also use beef shanks or lamb shanks. Remember with the shanks, because of the bone, they will require more cooking time.
• Fresh okra: I prefer fresh okra, of course, for this stew. But if you can not find fresh okra, you can use frozen as a substitute. Just remember, that frozen vegetables, once thawed and cooked, are much softer in texture so do not overcook.
• Onion: A simple brown onion is all you need for this dish.
• All purpose flour: I dust my meat with a little flour to help create a crust and thicken the stew. You can skip this or use rice flour, for a gluten-free option.
• Persian dried limes: Limoo Omani offers a unique sour flavor. I use the whole dried lemons in the soup and crush it up for the meat purée. My husband’s family likes it more sour so I typically serve it with ground limoo omani on the side.
• Pantry staples: Extra virgin olive oil, beef broth, tomato paste, and canned diced tomatoes.
• Seasonings: salt, pepper and turmeric.

Step-by-step directions

1. In a large bowl mix together stew meat, salt, black pepper, turmeric and flour.

2. Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add oil. When oil is hot add chopped onion. Cook until onions start to soften, approximately 7 minutes then season with salt, black pepper and turmeric.

3. Cook for 2 minutes, then add stew meat and brown all sides, approximately 7 minutes.

4. Stir in beef broth. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up browned bits of meat from the bottom of the pot.

5. Stir in tomato paste and canned tomatoes. Add dried limes. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Stew can be refrigerated 3-4 days before serving at this point. Flavor is enhanced the longer it sits.

6. Thirty minutes prior to serving, clean and stem okra. Pat dry with paper towels. Heat large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and olive oil. Fry okra in batches until lightly browned. Add okra to the rest of stew, gently mixing it in. Cook 15-20 minutes. If you overcook okra, they turn mushy.

Expert tips and recipe FAQs

All of Persian stews are served over a bed of chelo (Persian basmati rice). It is usually white rice, even yellow saffron rice. Sometimes stews are served alongside flavored rice dishes, pollo. But it is usually accompanied with plain white rice or even brown basmati rice.

Along with the rice, Persian stews are served with green salad, a platter of fresh herbs (sabzi khordan), cucumber tomato salad (salad shirazi) and/or yogurt with cucumbers (mast o khiar).

PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback.

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