Ask an Egyptian which dish reminds them of Friday lunch at the family home, and many will say: okra and meat casserole with Egyptian rice. A simple home dish, but with a taste of its own when cooked in a clay pot and brought bubbling from the oven.
What makes okra Egyptian
- Small okra: Egyptians prefer small, tender okra, sometimes called «weika» or «zerr» okra.
- Tomato sauce: okra is cooked in a rich tomato sauce, not water.
- The ta'leya: many homes finish it with a garlic-and-coriander ta'leya, as with molokhia.
- The meat: pieces boiled first and browned, their broth going into the okra.
Why a clay pot?
A clay pot spreads heat slowly and evenly, so the sauce thickens and the okra cooks without falling apart while the top browns in the oven. For more on clay-pot cooking, read Egyptian casseroles.
How homes make it
- The meat is boiled with onion and spices, then browned.
- The okra is trimmed at the top without opening it.
- A tomato sauce with onion and garlic, topped up with the meat broth.
- Okra and meat in the pot, sauce over them, and into the oven until thick.
What it is eaten with
Okra casserole belongs beside white Egyptian rice or vermicelli rice, with baladi bread and green salad.
Okra casserole at Rokn Warda
At Rokn Warda in Al Khobar you will find an okra and beef casserole: okra and beef in a rich tomato sauce, served with Egyptian rice, from meat that arrives fresh, never frozen. Order it from the menu for delivery in Al Khobar and Dammam, or have it hot in our dining room. More in Egyptian casseroles in Al Khobar.
