Bamia

Bamia is a Sudanese stew of okra simmered with beef, onion and tomato, served with bread or rice. Okra is the centre of the dish, and it cooks slowly until the sauce thickens. Okra stews are also made in parts of the Arab world and West Africa, often under the name bamya, so the Sudanese version is best known by its local name.

What it really is

Okra pods are simmered with pieces of beef, onion, tomato and garlic in a loose, savoury stew until the meat is tender and the okra has softened into the sauce. The seasoning is simple. Cooks vary the amount of tomato, and some brown the meat first, so the colour and body of the stew differ from house to house. Okra releases a natural slime when it is cooked, which gives the sauce its thickness.

How it's served

• Hot, in a deep bowl or on a plate, with the beef and okra spooned over the starch.
• With bread, used to scoop up the sauce, or with rice served alongside.
• As a main course, with the stew as the centre of the plate.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the protein: beef, in pieces, and say if you use another meat.
• Flag wheat for the bread served with it. The stew itself has no allergen from the standard list in its classic form.
• If the kitchen adds stock or spice blends, check them for celery, mustard and sulphites.
• Do not label it vegetarian, since the classic recipe is made with beef. A meat-free version must be named as such.
• Describe it as simmered, so guests know the okra is cooked soft.