Egyptian okra and lamb stew

Chop two onions to a fine dice.

Add the vegetable oil to a pot over medium heat, add the onions and saute about three minutes.

Once they soften add the minced garlic and saute another minute.

Move the onions aside, add the lamb and sear a couple of minutes to a light brown.

Deglaze the pot with the tomato passata.

Rinse the passata container with the water and add that too.

Bring to a light boil, turn the heat down, cover and simmer until the meat is tender; this lamb took around one and a half hours.

Add the frozen okra straight to the pot with about a cup of water, mix and bring to a light boil over medium heat.

Add the salt and black pepper and simmer with the lid on about 10 minutes, until the okra has the tiniest amount of bite.

Add the hot green chilli, the minced garlic and the lime juice and cook another five minutes, stirring carefully so the soft okra does not break.

Skim off any excess fat before serving; serve over the vermicelli rice with the tomato pickle and slices of lime.

Alternative: put the cooked bamya in a clay pot and bake it in the oven 15 to 20 minutes until the sauce browns and reduces, which cuts down further on mucilage.