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South Sudanese · Sudanese

Bamia (okra and beef stew)

Non-vegetarian

بامية · bamia

Okra simmered with beef, onion, garlic and tomato into a thick, silky stew. A staple of South Sudan and Sudan, eaten with kisra or asida.

Bamia (okra and beef stew) is a South Sudanese stew, ready in about 1 hour 35 minutes and made with okra and beef chuck. It serves 5 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
Earthenware dish of okra and beef stewed in tomato sauce
Photo: Tamorlan / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-3.0
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 20 min
Total
1 h 35 min
Serves
5
Level
Easy
Calories
276

Ingredients

5 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Brown the beef in the oil, then add the onions (opens in a new tab) and cook until soft.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), coriander, pepper (opens in a new tab), tomatoes (opens in a new tab), tomato paste (opens in a new tab), water and 1 tsp salt. Cover and simmer until the beef is tender.

    • 50 min
    • low heat
    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the okra (opens in a new tab), lemon juice (opens in a new tab) and remaining salt and simmer uncovered until the okra is tender and the sauce thick.

    • 18 min
    • medium-low heat

    Lemon and minimal stirring keep the okra from getting too slimy.

    A curry simmering in a pot
    How it looks · Photo: Bachir Mamud on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin disputedOkra and meat stews called bamia are eaten from Egypt to the Gulf; this is the South Sudanese and Sudanese home style.Also popular in South Sudan, Sudan
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Stewed, Simmered
Taste
savoury, tangy, garlicky
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Low-fat · Carb-conscious · Calorie-conscious
With the listed swaps: Beef-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Everyday · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with
Okra · Beef chuck · Onion · Garlic · Tomato · Tomato paste
Techniques
Simmering · Stewing

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

276 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 479 g · recipe makes 5

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 35%
  • Carbohydrate 24%
  • Fat 41%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy276 kcal58 kcal
Protein25.4 g5.3 g
Carbohydrate17.4 g3.6 g
Net carbohydrate12 g2.5 g
Sugars6.1 g1.3 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre5.4 g1.1 g
Fat13.1 g2.7 g
Saturated fat2.5 g0.5 g
Trans fat0.3 g0.1 g
Cholesterol64 mg13 mg
Sodium799 mg167 mg
Salt equivalent2 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
991 mg
Calcium
139 mg
Iron
3.4 mg
Magnesium
99 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
73 µg
Vitamin C
40 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
2.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
84 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Small, young okra pods stay firm and are less slimy than large ones.

Common mistakes

  • Adding the okra with the beef — it overcooks and disintegrates.

Serve with

  • Serve with kisra, asida or rice.

Food safety

  • Simmer stewing beef, goat or lamb until fork-tender; cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated; freezes well.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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