Wow I finally get down to doing a blog at last!! About bloody time I can here my sisters shouting!! So I 'm going to base this blog on my thoughts and some recipes I want to share in the hope that you guys can enjoy the food that we eat on our family table from time to time.. Oh yeah there are times when we are really scraping the barrel for ideas of what shall we have for dinner today!!! But I guess that's every mummy's daily headache. It's hard to please everybody in my family especially my youngest Zahra, she has been getting better but is still a fussy eater. I always insist that she needs to eat her carbs(rice or potatoes) and Veg )normally limited to brocolli if she had her way), I also try to reduce on the chicken as I find that this meat is really a meat of convenience these days and god knows how much hormones are pumped into these birds!! So we have an alround menu throughout the weeks consisting of beef, fish, prawns, squid, crabs, veg, yes chicken. As for carbs we eat ofcourse mainly rice, potatoes occaisionally, noodles and we try and have pasta at least once a week. When it comes to family gathering ofcourse the food of choice for my beloved Mother In Law would be ambuyat but some of the kids don't really enjoy this..but that's another blog topic I guess.
However.... today we are having Lamb shanks bamia..sometimes Supasave has these lamb shanks but most of the times they are already marinated or chopped up..so it's best to ask and reserve I guess.
Bamia is the middle eastern name for Okra or Ladies Fingers and it is used to make stew with meat and vegetables. The Ladies Fingers help to thicken the stew's gravy hence the name of the dish Bamia. There are many varieties of how to cook this dish and you can substitute the lamb shanks for other lamb parts such as shoulder or cut up lamb leg. Alternatively beef can also be used. Whatever meat you are using, like in other stew recipes it is slow cooking to allow for the meat to tenderize. The dish is normally eaten with french bread but rice is fine too. If eating with mashed potatoes then omit potatoes and you can substitute with carrots instead. Or eat with couscous.
This was a real success for all in the family as the dish is not too spicy and not too bland. We all devoured it except for Zahra who did not have anything except for the potatoes!! Thank goodness for the vegetable soup we had prepared earlier. Ok hope you guys enjoy preparing this.
Bamia:
Serves 6 people (4 if you are hungry!!)
Ingredients:
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic smashed then chopped finely
2 shallots sliced
2 inches of ginger bruised
5-6 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 star of anise
1 teaspoon fennel powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons tomato puree
3 lamb shanks ( about 1kg)
15pcs okra or ladies fingers - tops cut
3 -4 potatoes cut into 4
2-3 tablespoons ghee
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste
Enough water to cover lamb.
Method:
1.Melt Ghee in a large pot
2.Add spices, onions and powsered spice and fry till fragrant
3. Add tomato puree
4. Add Lamb pieces and fry just to brown
5. Pour water until lamb is totally submerged, and allow to come to the boil.
6. Lower down heat and let simmer for at least 2 hours until lamb is soft and comes off the bone when pricked with a fork. During the simmering stage if water has reduced keep adding more liquid.
7. Add potatoes and boil for a further 15 minutes till potatoes are soft.
8. Lastly add okra and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes until okra is soft and gravy has thickened. Season to your taste.
However.... today we are having Lamb shanks bamia..sometimes Supasave has these lamb shanks but most of the times they are already marinated or chopped up..so it's best to ask and reserve I guess.
Bamia is the middle eastern name for Okra or Ladies Fingers and it is used to make stew with meat and vegetables. The Ladies Fingers help to thicken the stew's gravy hence the name of the dish Bamia. There are many varieties of how to cook this dish and you can substitute the lamb shanks for other lamb parts such as shoulder or cut up lamb leg. Alternatively beef can also be used. Whatever meat you are using, like in other stew recipes it is slow cooking to allow for the meat to tenderize. The dish is normally eaten with french bread but rice is fine too. If eating with mashed potatoes then omit potatoes and you can substitute with carrots instead. Or eat with couscous.
This was a real success for all in the family as the dish is not too spicy and not too bland. We all devoured it except for Zahra who did not have anything except for the potatoes!! Thank goodness for the vegetable soup we had prepared earlier. Ok hope you guys enjoy preparing this.
Bamia:
Serves 6 people (4 if you are hungry!!)
Ingredients:
1 large onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic smashed then chopped finely
2 shallots sliced
2 inches of ginger bruised
5-6 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 star of anise
1 teaspoon fennel powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoons tomato puree
3 lamb shanks ( about 1kg)
15pcs okra or ladies fingers - tops cut
3 -4 potatoes cut into 4
2-3 tablespoons ghee
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste
Enough water to cover lamb.
Method:
1.Melt Ghee in a large pot
2.Add spices, onions and powsered spice and fry till fragrant
3. Add tomato puree
4. Add Lamb pieces and fry just to brown
5. Pour water until lamb is totally submerged, and allow to come to the boil.
6. Lower down heat and let simmer for at least 2 hours until lamb is soft and comes off the bone when pricked with a fork. During the simmering stage if water has reduced keep adding more liquid.
7. Add potatoes and boil for a further 15 minutes till potatoes are soft.
8. Lastly add okra and allow to simmer for another 10 minutes until okra is soft and gravy has thickened. Season to your taste.
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