Vegan Okra (bamyeh) بامية بالزيت

As a kid I was never a big fan of okra, it was the only dish that I wouldn't eat when my mother used to make it, especially when she made it with meat. For some reason, I just didn't like this vegetable. However, I liked it better when my mom would make it during lent as a vegan dish.

I also got so much in love with okra when I tried the Indian version of it, and then it became one of my favorite dishes.

So okra is a vegetable that is very popular in Palestine, the season is during summer. So my mother as all other Palestinians would get a large quantity during the season, so she can prepare it for storing, so it can be used throughout the year.

The Okra that we have in Palestine is much smaller than the large okra we see in any US market. The one we have is more like baby okra, I remember my mother would be meticulous in picking the smallest ones, she didn't like to pick even few large ones which are still small compared to the ones here. So in preparation for storage, okra needs to be first washed, take the top stems out then fried, and finally packed in bags and stored in the freezer so it can last throughout winter.

I still like to use the baby okra which is more like the one I grew up eating, nothing wrong with the large ones, I've used it numerous times when I made Indian dishes, and I cut it into smaller pieces. But I think because okra has small seeds inside and can be slime, the smaller version of it can be less slimy. So small okra can be found in the frozen section at any grocery store that sells Middle Eastern products.

Fresh large okra can certainly be used, start by washing it, take stems out and grill or fry, if frying is your preference. Then follow the same instructions.

So here is how to make Vegan okra:

To avoid frying the okra I just sprinkle some olive oil and grill it for about 10-15 minutes, keep an eye on it and sautéed to get all grilled.

Meanwhile, I can start with the tomatoes, wash tomatoes, peel the skin out of each, chop and place in the pot over some olive oil, start on high heat then turn the stove into medium to low and keep sautéing until tomatoes look soft and cooked. Add okra to the tomatoes and mix, let it simmer on low heat for about 10 minutes, then add salt.

Meanwhile, warm olive oil in a separate skillet, add crushed garlic, sauté until garlic is golden brown, and pour over okra and tomatoes, mix everything well together and serve hot with bread or alone. If you like it a little spicy you can add some chili with the garlic.

This recipe is enouch for 2 people

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