BAMYA (EGYPTIAN OKRA STEW)
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
4 tablespoons butter or oil
2 pounds lamb, cut into one-inch pieces
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup, peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup stock or water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 pounds okra
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of one lemon
Rice

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large frying pan, warm 2 tablespoons butter or oil over medium heat. Working in batches, add the meat and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes for each batch. Transfer the browned meat to a baking dish or Dutch oven and repeat until all the meat is cooked.

Add the onion to the frying pan and saute for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic, cumin, coriander, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock and mint. Stir well. Pour over the meat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the meat and sauce mixture and bake until all the liquid is absorbed, about 1 1/2 hours. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

While the dish is baking, trim the okra stems and soak the okra in the red-wine vinegar for 30 minutes. Then drain, rinse and dry the okra. Heat the remaining butter or oil in a saute pan over medium heat and cook the okra 3 minutes, stirring gently.

When the meat is done, remove it from the oven and arrange the okra on top of the meat in a spoke pattern. Sprinkle the lemon juice evenly over the surface. Recover and bake for 35 minutes longer. Add more stock or water if the mixture gets too dry. Serve with cooked rice.