Bamia

Bamia is the okra stew that Jordanians grow up on, a homey pot of small okra and lamb simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce. It is a dish of late summer, when the okra is tender and the tomatoes are at their sweetest, though it is eaten year-round with rice and bread. Every family’s bamia is a little different, and everyone insists theirs is the best.

A slow-simmered pot of tomato and lamb

The okra turns silky and almost buttery as it cooks, losing its fussy reputation entirely, while the lamb melts into the thick, sweet tomato sauce. Garlic and coriander perfume the pot, and a little tomato paste deepens the color and flavor. It is ladled over rice or scooped up with warm bread, and a bowl of yogurt on the side cools the rich sauce down. It tastes even better the next day, so cook extra on purpose.

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