There is an endless choice of stews in Arabic cuisine. This is one of my favorites. Try to find baby okra, which has fewer seeds and looks much prettier. My mother used to squeeze a little lemon over the stew at the end of cooking. I like to add the citrus notes of lemon and orange by just adding the zest. Like any stew it’s good served with rice or potatoes and even couscous.

6–8 servings

INGREDIENTS

FOR STEW: 

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 lb leg of lamb, cut into cubes
• 2 onions, sliced thin
• 6 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cardamom pods, bruised
• 2 pkgs baby okra (14 oz each), frozen
• 1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, puréed
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• zest of 1 orange
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp sugar

FOR TAKLIA:

• 2 Tbsp clarified butter
• 10 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
• 8 tomatoes, peeled and diced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large, 6-quart pot, heat ¼ cup vegetable oil and brown the lamb all over.
2. Add the onions and stir for 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the water, bring to a boil and skim off the scum from the surface.
4. Add the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and cardamom.
5. Lower to medium heat and cover to cook until the meat is tender, for about 40 minutes.
6. Strain in a colander over another pot, keeping the stock. Remove the meat and leave aside.
7. Rinse the frozen okra in cold water to get rid of any ice crystals.
8. In a large frying pan, heat ¼ cup vegetable oil and sauté the okra until crisp all over. Drain on absorbent paper. Set aside.
9. Place the pot of reserved stock on medium heat and add the tomato purée, tomato paste, orange and lemon zest, sugar and the reserved meat. Put the okra into the tomato sauce.
10. In a small frying pan heat the clarified butter and sauté the garlic for 1 minute. Add the cilantro and cook for an additional minute.
11. Pour this taklia on top of the stew. Stir gently to combine.
12. Lower the heat and leave to simmer for 10 minutes more.
13. Lastly, stir in the fresh diced tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes and remove.
14. Serve hot with vermicelli rice.