Bamiayov zahd (Okra stew)

Bamiayov zahd (Okra stew)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh baby okra, or frozen baby okra, trimmed

1 medium sized onion, sliced

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 tbsps. tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 cup vinegar

juice of ½ lemon

olive oil

1 tsp. ground allspice

1 tbsp. ground coriander

½ tsp. Aleppo red pepper

salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Wash and dry okra, if using fresh. Defrost okra, if using frozen.

2. Place okra in a shallow dish and add vinegar.

3. After ½ hour, remove okra and rinse with water.

4. Place okra in a casserole baking dish..

5. Saute onion in olive oil until lightly browned.

6. Add onions to okra.

7. Dissolve tomato paste in diced tomatoes, and add lemon juice and spices.

8. Pour mixture over the okra.

9. Bake in 375° oven for 30 minutes, or until okra is tender.

Okra stew makes an excellent side dish to complement lamb and bulghour pilaf.

Optional alternate:

1. Boil lamb neck bones in a stovetop saucepan until the meat separates from the bones.

2. Add the meat to the okra, prepared as above, before baking.

Note: Bamia is a borrowing from Turkish bamya for okra.

Zahd is a borrowing from Kurdish zad for food.