Weeka Okra is one of the most famous Upper Egyptian recipes, where the instrument (mefraak) is used to mash the vegetables, a method stemming from Pharaonic times.
Okra with Chard and Fresh Coriander is another dish of Pharaonic origin, since tomatoes were first used two hundred years ago.
The Pharaonic name for okra mentioned in Harris’ papyrus is bano, and
Maspiro briefly mentions finding the remains of this plant.
There are three types of okra, which differ in appearance and flavor:
Falahi (farmer) okra is characterized by its dark green color and by the presence of fine, hair like thorns on the sides, which must be removed during preparation.
Rumi okra has a light green color and no thorn
Red okra is similar to rumi okra, but it has a reddish cap. The red color may extend to the pod.
TOP TIP: Okra is cleaned by finely peeling the ridges to remove the thorns and by turning the okra around a knife to remove the hard cap giving it a conical shape.
-Remember that when preparing Wika okra, you must select large pods with large seeds.
MASHED OKRA (BAMYA WIKA)
Ingredients
•1kg lrg okra
•3 tbsp ghee
•1 onion
•1 ltr meat broth
•1 tsp salt
•1/4 tsp red pepper
•1 tbsp lime juice
•4 cloves of garlic
•2 tbsp dried coriander
1. Wash the okra and place it in a sieve to dry. Cut it up into small pieces and lightly sauté in 1 tablespoon of ghee. Remove from sauce and drain in a sieve.
2. Grate onion and sauté in 1 tablespoon ghee until golden yellow, add broth and bring to a boil.
3. Add okra, salt, red pepper and lime juice and simmer over medium heat until fully cooked.
4. Mince the garlic and coriander and sauté in the remaining tablespoon of ghee. Sprinkle over dish. Serve.
STEWED OKRA WITH LAMB
Ingredients
1 kg fresh okra
1 onion
2 tbsp ghee ( 1/2 kg lamb meat (loin chops
1 cup of tomato juice
1 ltr meat broth
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp limejuice
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 hot chili pepper, whole
5. Wash the okra. Place it in a sieve and dry it. Remove caps and thorns.
6. Grate the onion and sauté in ghee until golden yellow. Rinse the meat and add it the onion and stir, adding a little black pepper.
7. Add tomato sauce and simmer until the sauce thickens and the ghee rises to the top. Add the broth and bring to the boil, then add the salt.
8. Add the okra and limejuice, before boiling for 10 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until the ghee rises to the top and the okra is well-cooked.
9. Crush the garlic and chop hot chili pepper. Season and serve
