A delicious vegan Cypriot dish! Bamyies or Okra, also known as ‘Ladies Fingers’ because of their shape, are a seasonal vegetable in Cyprus and Greece, available from June to September; they can be quite pricey at the beginning of the season. The Cypriots like to pick okra pods young, while still tender.
Ingredients (serves 6):
1 kilo small or medium fresh okra
4-5 medium waxed potatoes (they do not break)
150ml (¼ pint) olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
400g tin chopped tomatoes or 450g fresh ripe tomatoes, grated
1 tsp sugar or more to taste
½ tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of ½ lemon or 1 tbsp vinegar
Method:
To prepare the okra, trim the stems without cutting into the pods, rinse and sprinkle with salt and vinegar to stop them going slimy when cooked. Spread on a clean tea towel to dry or put them in the sun for 30 minutes – this is what my grandmother and mum used to do.
Peel the potatoes and cut in two or four. Heat the olive oil in a wide bottomed saucepan (I prefer to use a large wok), fry the potatoes until brown, remove and place on kitchen paper to drain. Do the same with the okra; you don’t have to fry the okra if you are watching your weight!
In the same pan, sauté the chopped onions until soft and start to go brown, add the tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes and bring to the boil. Stir in the sugar and cinnamon and then gently mix in the potatoes and okra. Season with salt and pepper and add one cup of warm water or more to just cover the okra. Place a lid on the wok/saucepan loosely, so some of the steam escapes, and simmer on a very low heat without stirring for 30-35 minutes, gently shaking the saucepan occasionally; stirring will cause the okra to break and turn mushy.
Finish by adding the lemon juice or vinegar. When ready, you should be left with a nice thick tomato sauce.
You can also bake the okra – cover in a medium preheated oven for 45-50 minutes.
Okra can be served hot or cold, both delicious, with some raw onion and rustic bread to mop up the sauce. Καλή όρεξη!