Bamies, Greek Braised Okra
Bamies is high-summer cooking in Greece, when okra is at its cheapest and best and the tomatoes are ripe. It is a simple braise, okra stewed down in a garlicky tomato sauce until the pods go tender, but it has a reputation for turning slimy that keeps people from making it. The fix is old and reliable: soak the trimmed pods in vinegar before cooking, keep them whole, and handle them gently in the pan. Traditional recipes pour in olive oil at the start; a sweet, slow-cooked onion base and the body of the tomatoes carry the dish without it. Okra brings real fiber and a little protein, and a pound makes a generous side. Serve it warm or at room temperature with a grain to catch the sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Okra, whole, stems trimmed
- 2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 1 Yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups Canned crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup Flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp Lemon juice, fresh
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Trim the stems from the okra without cutting into the pods, then toss the whole pods with the red wine vinegar and let them sit 20 minutes. This is the classic Greek trick against sliminess: the acid soaking the pods before they cook breaks down the sticky compound so the okra stays whole and silky rather than ropy.
- Meanwhile, sweat the onion in a wide pan with a splash of water over medium heat until soft, about 8 minutes, then add the garlic and cook one more minute. A slow, sweet onion base is what a plain vegetable braise needs to taste like more than the sum of its parts.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and half a cup (120 ml) of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Let the sauce cook for 5 minutes to lose its raw edge before the okra goes in, so it wraps the pods rather than tasting like tinned tomato.
- Add the okra along with its vinegar in a single layer, cover, and simmer very gently for 25 to 30 minutes until the pods are tender and the sauce is thick. Do not stir hard or often, since knocking the pods around is what breaks them and releases the slime you worked to prevent; shake the pan instead.
- Take it off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and most of the parsley, and grind over the black pepper. Bamies is a dish that rests well and is traditionally eaten warm or at room temperature, so it can wait, and the extra parsley goes on just before serving.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 90 calories, 4 g protein, 6 g fiber, 45 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
