Khoresh Bamieh, or “Iranian okra stew,” is one of the most popular types of Iranian food. There are different types of stews. One of the types of Iranian stews is khoresh bamieh, which belongs to Kermanshah, Ilam, Khuzestan, Kurdistan, and Fars, but it is cooked in all provinces and has fans.
There are differences in how to prepare okra stew in different cities. You can not use meat or chicken to prepare this stew; it is a completely vegetarian dish. Okra stew is served with rice or bread.
Okra stew is one of the best local Iranian stews with a special taste. This stew has a special glaze due to okra that doubles the pleasure of eating this dish with rice, and it has many fans who never stop eating this dish.
How to make Khoresh Bamieh?
Preparing Persian Okra Stew is very easy, but it needs to follow the principles of cooking, which should be cooked over gentle heat, and the amount of okra cooking is very important, as mentioned in the recipe.
Okra is known as one of the most special foods around the world. In Iran, this stew is one of the most famous and very delicious foods in the country’s southern provinces and tropical regions.
If you want a thick stew with many glazes, it’s better to prepare the necessary ingredients right now and join us as we teach you how to prepare a professional Iranian okra stew on the Meals Cook site.
“Okra is found in its wild state on the alluvial banks of the Nile and the Egyptians were the first to cultivate it in the basin of the Nile” (12th century BC). It was propagated then through North Africa to the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and India.
sourced: https://wikifarmer.com/
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Prep Time: 20 mins
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Cook Time: 2 hours
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Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Original Amount | Weight (Metric – g) | Weight (Imperial – lb) |
| Okra | 0.8 pound | ~ 365 g | 0.8 lb |
| Stewing Meat | 0.9 pound | ~ 410 g | 0.9 lb |
| Onion | 2 pcs (Medium) | ~ 300 g | ~ 0.66 lb |
| Garlic | 2 cloves | ~ 6-10 g | ~ 0.02 lb |
| Tomato | 2 pcs (Medium) | ~ 240 g | ~ 0.53 lb |
| Black pepper | 1 tablespoon | ~ 7 g | ~ 0.015 lb |
| Turmeric powder | 1/2 teaspoon | ~ 1.5 g | Negligible |
| Lemon juice | As needed | – | – |
| Salt | As needed | – | – |
Instruction:
1. Chopping onions and garlic
Start the preparation of this okra stew by frying the onion. In this way, peel an onion and chop it finely, then finely chop the garlic and set it aside.
2. Sauté the onion
Next, put a pot suitable for cooking stew on low heat and add oil until it heats well. Then pour the onion into the pot and fry well until it becomes light and glassy. Finally, add turmeric.
3. Adding garlic
Continue preparing the basic ingredients of the okra stew by frying the onion and turmeric, adding the garlic, and mixing the ingredients well until they are uniform. The smell of garlic spreads in the air.
4. Adding meat
Now it’s time to pour the chopped meat into the pot and fry it with the other ingredients until it is cooked well and the color changes.
Remember that over-roasting the meat makes it hard.
5. Sautéing the tomato paste
To color the stew, pour the specified amount of tomato paste into the pot, fry it, and then mix it with the meat until smooth. Peel the tomatoes, grate them, pour them into the pot, and stir well.
6. Adding water to cook the meat
To make this stew delicious, fry the tomato paste until its rawness is removed. Now it’s time to pour 4 glasses of water into the pot first, put it on high heat until the water boils, and then lower the heat so that the stew cooks slowly.
7. Wiping the okra
While the meat is cooking, clean the okra well so you only take the heads and tails, and then wash them. Remember not to damage the texture of the okra so that it does not fall apart during cooking.
8. Sautéing okra
After this step, put a suitable pan on low heat and add oil until it gets hot, and then fry the okra until its color changes so that their texture does not fall apart after cooking.
9. Adding okra to the stew
It is better to wait until the meat is well-cooked, and then, after about 2 hours, pour the okra into the pot containing the stew ingredients.
Next, use lime or lemon juice to flavor the stew, then add the required amount of black pepper to the ingredients.
10. The time required for the stew to settle
For this stew to settle, it is better to let the okra cook with the meat for 40 minutes so that the excess water of the stew is taken. Also, this stew should be glazed; leaving it until it settles is better.
11. Food preparation
Your delicious khoresh bamieh is ready. Adding salt at the last stage of cooking the stew is better. Remember that overcooking makes the okra fall apart and harms the appearance of the stew.
Persian okra stew is served with Mast o Musir, Mast o Khiar, Seer torshi, Zeytoon parvardeh, and Salad Shirazi.
I have written an article about okra pickle(torshi bamieh), which is related to okra, and you can read it, prepare it, and enjoy it.
Chef’s Tips for the Perfect Khoresh Bamieh (Secrets to Non-Slimy Stew)
Making a professional Persian Okra Stew requires attention to detail, especially to prevent the okra from becoming slimy (lezat). Here are the golden rules:
1. The “No-Slime” Technique (Texture Secrets)
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Don’t Cut the Caps: When cleaning the okra, never cut the cap too short or open the pod. If the seeds are exposed, the slime will leak out and ruin the stew’s texture. Just lightly trim the stem.
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Fry the Okra First: Before adding okra to the stew, sauté it in oil for 5-10 minutes until the skin blisters slightly. This “seals” the pod and prevents it from falling apart.
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Timing is Key: Okra is delicate. Add it only in the last 30-40 minutes of cooking. If you boil it for too long (over an hour), it will disintegrate.
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Shake, Don’t Stir: Once the okra is in the pot, avoid stirring with a spoon as it crushes the pods. Instead, gently shake the pot from the handles to mix the ingredients.
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Choose Small Okra: For a better appearance and texture, use small, tender okra (often called “Baby Okra”). They hold their shape better than large, fibrous ones.
2. Seasoning & Flavor Tips
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Salt at the End: Do not add salt at the beginning, as it causes red meat to toughen and take longer to cook. Add salt in the final 30 minutes. Also, remember that tomato paste usually contains salt, so taste before seasoning.
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The Cinnamon Secret: To give your stew a unique, warm aroma, add a Cinnamon Stick during the slow-cooking stage and remove it before serving. (Avoid powder if you want a clear stew color).
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Garlic is Essential: Khoresh Bamieh loves garlic! Grate 2-3 cloves of garlic and sauté them with the onions and turmeric for a deep, savory base.
3. Regional Variations (Southern Style)
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Tamarind Twist: In Southern Iran (Khuzestan style), cooks often use Tamarind Paste (Tamr-e Hindi) instead of, or alongside, tomato paste. Soak the tamarind in water, strain the seeds, and add the sour juice in the last 30 minutes. This gives the stew a delicious tartness.
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Spicy & Garlicky: The Southern version is spicier. Feel free to use a whole head of garlic and extra red pepper for an authentic Southern taste.
4. Storage & Serving
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Serve Fresh: It is best to cook as much as you need for one meal. Freezing and reheating okra stew can damage the texture of the okra, making it mushy and slippery.
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Settling the Stew: Allow the stew to simmer on low heat (Ja-oftadan) until the oil rises to the top and the sauce thickens. A watery stew is not authentic.
FAQ
1. Why did my okra stew become slimy? This usually happens if you cut the top of the okra too short and expose the seeds, or if you overcook the okra. Always keep the okra pods intact and add them at the very end.
2. Can I make this vegetarian? Absolutely! Simply skip the meat. Sauté the onions, garlic, and tomato sauce, then add mushrooms or potatoes for texture. It makes a delicious vegan stew.
3. What is the best souring agent for this stew? Traditionally, unripe grape juice (Verjuice or Ab-Ghooreh) is used for a sharp tang. However, fresh lemon juice or even a little tamarind paste (common in southern Iran) works perfectly.
4. Can I use frozen okra? Yes, frozen okra works well. You don’t need to thaw it before frying. Just sauté it frozen until golden, then add it to the stew.
Did you like this Iranian food?
- Please share your experience of cooking this Iranian okra stew.
- If you are looking for vegetarian food, I suggest Vegan Khoresh Bamieh without meat.
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