Name: Saba Ethiopian’s bamya (lamb and okra)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tbsp sunflower oil; ¾ onion, diced; 1 tsp crushed garlic (about 1 clove); 25 gm (¼ cup) berbere; 400 gm canned whole tomatoes; 500 gm diced lamb leg or shoulder, excess fat trimmed; 500 gm okra, trimmed and coarsely chopped (extra fried, to serve, optional)

Saba Ethiopian’s bamya (lamb and okra)

Head chef Tekebash Gebre's recipe for a Sudanese dish that's all warmth and spice.

Serves 4

Prep

15M

Cook

40M

Total

55M

“My mother incorporates Sudanese dishes into her repertoire and this is one of them,” says Alemayoh. “Okra is an undervalued vegetable in Australia. It is popular in African, Middle Eastern and Asian cooking. This dish goes well with rice and a fresh salad.”

Ingredients

1 tbsp sunflower oil

¾ onion, diced

1 tsp crushed garlic (about 1 clove)

25 gm (¼ cup) berbere

400 gm canned whole tomatoes

500 gm diced lamb leg or shoulder, excess fat trimmed

500 gm okra, trimmed and coarsely chopped (extra fried, to serve, optional)

Method

1.Heat oil in a casserole over low-medium heat and sauté onion until very tender (8-10 minutes). Add garlic and sauté until softened (1 minute). Add berbere and 1 tbsp water and stir to combine. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring and breaking up with the spoon, until well combined (1-2 minutes), then add diced lamb and 1/2 cup water, or enough to just cover lamb. Cover and simmer gently over low heat until almost tender (20-30 minutes).

2.Add okra and simmer until just tender, or until cooked to your liking (7 minutes; the longer the okra cooks, the more viscous it will become). Season to taste and serve.