Palestinian Bamyeh Falahiyeh (Okra) with Olive Oil, Khubeizeh, and Labneh

In Palestine, cooking has always followed the rhythm of the land. What appears on the table is shaped by rainfall, temperature, soil, and time. Winter brings lentils, wheat, and foraged greens. Spring fills kitchens with khubeizeh, wild herbs, and fresh leaves. Summer arrives with tomatoes, okra, peppers, and dishes cooked slowly in olive oil under long, warm days.

This way of cooking isn’t nostalgic, it’s practical, rooted, and deeply respectful of nature. Seasonal cooking means eating what thrives naturally, when it thrives, without forcing the land or relying on excess. And while many of us may live far from Palestine today, this principle travels with us. Cooking in season wherever we are is a way of staying connected to the land we come from, and to the land we live on now.

Using heirloom seeds is part of this practice. These seeds carry generations of adaptation: flavors shaped by climate, soil, and care rather than industrial uniformity. In Palestinian cooking, heirloom vegetables like okra and tomatoes are valued not for perfection, but for taste, texture, and memory. They remind us that food is not just grown, it is inherited.

Bamyeh Falahiyeh is one of the most traditional dishes in Palestinian rural cooking. It reflects a life close to the land, simple, modest, and deeply flavorful. Traditionally prepared without meat, it relies entirely on what is available during the warm months: okra, tomatoes, garlic, chili, and generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil.

Okra has long been a staple in Palestinian kitchens, especially in villages where families grew it from saved seeds year after year. Cooked gently, it becomes tender and silky, absorbing the flavors around it while keeping its character. When paired with khubeizeh (mallow), a foraged green that appears in winter, the dish becomes a true celebration of seasonality, blending cultivated crops with what the land offers freely.

This is food that nourishes without excess. Food that tells you exactly where and when it comes from.

1. Wash the khubeizeh thoroughly, roughly chop it, and set aside.

2. In a deep pan, heat a generous amount of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.

3. Add the sliced onions and cook until softened and lightly golden.

4. Add the okra and toss gently until glossy but still firm.

5. Add the garlic and green chili, stirring briefly to release their aroma without browning the garlic.

6. Add the cherry tomatoes and cook until they begin to release their juices.

7. Season with sumac, salt, pomegranate sauce, and lemon juice. Reduce the heat and let everything simmer gently until the okra softens and the flavors come together.

8. Add the khubeizeh and cook for a few minutes more, just until it wilts and blends into the sauce.

Spread the labneh over the base of a serving dish.
Spoon the bamyeh on top.
Garnish with fresh parsley and finish with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Bamyeh Falahiyeh is more than a recipe, it’s a reminder of how Palestinian cooking works at its best. It honors seasonality, values heirloom seeds, blends cultivated and foraged foods, and relies on olive oil as both nourishment and memory.

Cooking this dish, wherever you are, is a way of staying connected. To land. To season. To a kitchen that teaches us to listen, to wait, and to cook with what the earth is ready to give.