Bamia - Stewed Okra in Tomato Gravy

1 cup of red tomatoes

1½ teaspoons of chopped garlic

½ cup of chopped red onions

2 thin slices of green lime

1 teaspoon of lime juice

1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley

1 ½ tablespoons of finely chopped fresh coriander leaves

½ teaspoon of crushed coriander seeds

dash of cardamom powder

ground black pepper to taste

salt to taste

4 cups of okra pods, clean

1 tablespoon of olive oil

About the image above: Egyptian bamia

Chop the tomatoes and place in a blender to make puree, keep aside. Meanwhile; put a pot over medium high heat and with the olive oil, sauté the red onion and chopped garlic until fragrant and add the crushed coriander seeds and then add in the tomato puree, chopped parsley, chopped coriander leaves and sliced green lime. Keep sautéing until the tomato cooked and add the okra. Cook until the okra becomes soft and season with salt, pepper, cardamom powder, and lime juice.

Take out from the heat and serve immediately with rice or vermicelli rice. Make about 4 servings

Helpful Hints

If the fresh okra is not available, you can replace with the package okra ready to cook.