Kuuba Bamya (dumplings And Okra)
Instructions
After washing okra, take each pod and cut off both its plant-like head and the very tip of
its pointed end. Do this for each okra pod and set in a strainer so that excess water
drains off.
If you are using meat: Put oil and meat into a large pot and saut on medium flame until
the meat browns lightly. Add onions, garlic, pepper, and cayenne into the pot, and
continue sauting until the onions are soft and golden. Add 1 cup of water, cover, bring
to boil, and lower flame to low. Let cook until the meat is tender. If you will be using
kubba in addition to meat, let the meat cook until it is almost dissolving (this effect requires
the right cut of beef and you may need to use more water).
If you are not using meat: Put oil, onions, garlic, pepper, and cayenne into a large pot
and saut on medium flame until the onions are soft and golden.
Add tomato chunks (if using canned tomato, do not add the liquid from the can together
with the chunks, but keep the liquid aside), raise flame to medium, and saut until the
tomatoes are soft. Dissolve tomato paste in 2 cups of water (including the liquid from
canned tomatoes, if using canned tomatoes) and add to pot, then add the okra.
If not using kubba, cover the pot, bring to a boil, and lower flame to low. Add lemon
juice and salt, and stir. There should be a lot of liquid left; if not, add water together with
lemon juice. Cover and let cook for 5-10 minutes, until the okra is soft but not mushy
and the broth has a good taste. (If not sufficiently tangy, add lemon; if too sour, add
some more salt.)
If using kubba, cover the pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, add 1 cup of water,
lemon juice, and salt. Cover pot and bring to a boil. As soon as it boils, add the kubba
to the pot, one at a time, submerging each below the surface of the liquid, as deep into
the pot as possible (note, the kubba can be added while frozen; no need to defrost). As
soon as the liquid begins again to boil, lower the flame to low, and agitate kubba with a
spoon to make sure that they do not stick to each other. Cover and let cook for about
10 minutes until the okra is soft but not mushy and the broth has a good taste. (If not
sufficiently tangy, add lemon; if too sour, add some more salt.)
You may remove to a serving dish and serve immediately; however, the taste is much
better after it sits for a period of time (especially if you are using kubba). Rachel recommends
that you make this dish one or two days before you are ready to serve it.
When it finishes cooking, allow it to cool, then refrigerate in the same pot for a day or
two. When reheating, use the same pot: add a little bit of water and some more lemon
juice (to taste), bring it to boil, and let it sit on a low flame for a few minutes. Transfer to
a serving dish and serve. (Note, once kubba are cooked, the semolina shells become
soft are delicate. Be very gentle when mixing or transferring contents.) Every time you
reheat this dish, you will likely need to add some more lemon juice because the acid in
the citrus is neutralized over time. The absorptive nature of the kubba shells enhances
this process, so you will likely need to add more lemon if you are using kubba than you
would to the non-kubba variant.
