Jordanian-Style Bamia

Rinse the okra, pat dry, and trim only the tough tips without opening the pods. Cut the lamb into small pieces; finely chop the onion, mince the garlic, and dice the tomatoes.

Heat 40 ml of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Sauté the onion until golden, add the lamb and brown it on all sides. Pour in 250 ml of water, add salt, black pepper, ground cardamom and a bouillon cube, cover and simmer over low heat for 35 minutes, until the meat is almost tender.

Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a skillet, fry the okra for 5–7 minutes until lightly golden, then transfer to a sieve to drain off excess oil.

Add the tomatoes and tomato paste to the pot with the lamb, stir, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.

Add the fried okra, garlic and ground coriander. Stir gently, cover, and simmer for another 15 minutes over low heat, taking care not to overcook the pods.

For the rice, rinse 250 g of white rice until the water runs clear and soak it in 200 ml of measured water for 60 minutes, then drain.

Bring the remaining 500 ml of water to a boil, add ghee and salt to taste, stir in the rice and cook for 5 minutes, stirring. Cover, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and let the rice sit for another 15 minutes. Serve the bamia hot together with the rice.