← Nouns Cooking · Lebanese & Turkish

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 500 g lamb shoulder or beef stewing meat, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1½ tsp Allspice
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp Ground coriander
• 750 ml Water
• 2 tbsp Tomato purée (paste)
• 400 g chopped tomatoes (400 g can)
• 400 g small okra, fresh (trimmed) or frozen
• 6 cloves Garlic, crushed
• 30 g Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 1 Lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper

Method

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the lamb on all sides for 5 min. Add the onion and cook for 5 min more until soft.
2. Stir in the allspice, cinnamon and ground coriander for 30 seconds, then pour in the water. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, cover and simmer for 1 hour until the meat is tender.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and chopped tomatoes, then add the okra. Season with salt and pepper and simmer uncovered for 20–25 min, stirring gently only once or twice, until the okra is tender and the sauce thick.
4. In a small pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat and sizzle the garlic and fresh coriander for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
5. Stir the garlic mixture and lemon juice into the stew, taste for salt, and serve with vermicelli rice.

Tips

• Small frozen okra stays whole and less slimy; add it straight from frozen.
• Stir as little as possible once the okra is in, so the pods keep their shape.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Falasteeni Foodie Unicorns in the Kitchen Maureen Abood