This is one of our all time favorite! Every week we visit the farmer’s market with desperation to find organic, sweet, delightful μπάμιες! This is how you make okras with tomato sauce…

We use fresh okras, but using frozen ones will save you so much time.   Keep the recipe until you can find fresh ones!

You will need:

• 1 kilogram of okras/Μπάμιες
• 1 chopped red onion
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves
• 5 juicy tomatoes
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon of sugar
• cumin
• olive oil
• vinegar

This is how I did it and they were not slimey, they were delicious!

Wearing gloves, I washed them well. Then.. off with their heads! With a knife i chopped all of their hats off because I don’t adore biting into it when I eat them. Slime is oozing out of them but fear not, for you will make it disappear! Put the clean μπάμιες in a bowl and drizzle vinegar on them. Leave them in it for about 30 to 50 minutes and you will have yourselves perfect μπάμιες!

Put the tomatoes in α blender (we used a Vitamix) with a half tablespoon of sugar, a dash of cumin, salt and pepper accordingly ( to your health and taste, not necessarily in that order) and two tablespoons of olive oil. Mix well. This is your sauce.

Assuming you left them in the vinegar (which I hope you did!!), it is now time to coat a large pot with olive oil, set it on medium heat and sizzle the chopped onion and garlic. When they get a bit of color, it is time to throw the μπάμιες inside. All the vinegar will evaporate at this point and no one will understand the flavor. I know this guy who hates vinegar but loves this food so it works. (What she says is true!)

For a few minutes sizzle the μπάμιες to make them soft and make the vinegar evaporate. When they start sounding too dry, add the tomato sauce and enough water to cover them, stir. Cover with the lid οn medium-low heat and stir carefully to avoid mashing the μπάμιες!

As you cook the food, the μπάμιες will drink up the tomato sauce and the water while being cooked. If the water has evaporated before the μπάμιες are soft, add some more water. If you add too much water, take the lid off and let them cook for quite some time. I think the secret is to keep your cool and let the tomato sauce become thick allowing the μπάμιες to absorb most of it.

Don’t be afraid of the μπάμιες, they don’t look fabulous, but they sure taste great!