What Lebanese stew combines okra with tomato sauce?

The Lebanese stew that combines okra with tomato sauce is Bamieh bi-zeit.

The name describes the dish’s main features: bamieh means okra, while bi-zeit means “with oil,” usually referring to olive oil. Unlike bamya bel lahmeh, another Lebanese okra stew, this version is meatless and centers on okra cooked with tomatoes and olive oil.

Bamieh bi-zeit is commonly served with rice, fresh bread, and a simple salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. Okra’s distinctive texture comes from its natural mucilage, which can thicken the cooking liquid. Browning or briefly frying the pods before simmering is one way cooks reduce excess sliminess.

The dish belongs to a wider Levantine family of okra-and-tomato preparations. Similar versions are found in Syrian and Palestinian cooking, so it is best understood as a Lebanese form of a broader regional tradition rather than a dish found only in Lebanon.