Otherwise known as Khoresht e Bamiyeh (khoresht-casserole, bamiyeh-okra) in Iran, this is a simple dish to make and extremely tasty but be warned it needs a good couple of hours to simmer away so the meat cooks nicely and is very tender.
It’s even good for the children because even though they won’t eat the okra, it oozes it’s juices and goodness into the casserole sauce, giving it a nice simple spicy flavour that they will enjoy! I even get away with mashing an okra or two up for my little ones!
Diced Lamb Casserole with Okra
700g Diced lamb (preferably shoulder, not leg)
400g firm okra, washed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tin chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garlic powder OR 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the chopped onions. Fry until golden brown, then add the turmeric, garlic and a little salt and pepper. Continue to fry on a high heat for 5 minutes then add the lamb.
Keep stirring the lamb into the onion mixture making sure it is all covered, bring the heat down to medium and allow the meat to cook for 20 minutes whilst stirring to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
Add the chopped tomatoes, and cover with water. Bring it to the boil then simmer for 60 minutes.
After the 60 minutes, add the okra, (putting it in too early will result in a mush of okra) and simmer for a further 40 minutes or until the lamb is nice and soft.
Serve alongside white rice and some cool fresh yogurt or greek yogurt!
Note: You can substitute the lamb for beef, but increase the cooking time by about 20 minutes. If you prefer vegetarian, cook your preferred vegetables along WITH the okra for about 25 minutes or until cooked.
You can make this in the slow cooker but be aware that the flavours come from frying the onion along with the spices and meat for 20 minutes before cooking. It won’t taste exactly the same but will still be a delicious meal all the same!