You’d think the tomatoes make this stew overly sweet, but the addition of dried Persian lemons or unripened sour grapes (ghooreh) give it an excellent sour note that balances out the sweetness of the tomatoes. Growing up, this Persian tomato okra stew was a staple on my mom’s dinner table, and it was one of my favorites.
I’m sure there are more I’m missing, but this specific one is called “Khoreshteh Bamieh” and it is made with tomatoes, okra, and beef. And if you ask someone who was actually born and raised in Iran they’ll tell you there’s khoreshteh ghormeh sabzi, karaps, bademjan, lubia sabz, bamieh, and fesenjoon. If you ask other 2nd generation Iranian Americans, they’ll tell you there’s the green stews, the red stews, and the brown stew. Persian cuisine has many different variations of stews or “khoresht” served over fluffy Basmati rice.
As Fall approaches, I’m starting to make more comforting hearty recipes like this Persian tomato okra stew.
