Description
Galayet Bandora is a hearty Jordanian tomato stew made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and chili peppers, sometimes topped with tender beef or lamb. It’s a rustic, flavorful dish often served with warm pita bread and enjoyed throughout the Levant.
Ingredients
- 7 tbsp olive oil (plus more for drizzling)
- 8 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 Serrano pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cayenne pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 Serrano pepper, whole
- 11 large tomatoes (900 g), quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- Optional: 3 tbsp olive oil (for meat)
- 300 g beef or lamb tenderloin, cut into strips
- ¾ tsp salt (for meat)
- ½ tsp ground black pepper (for meat)
- ½ tsp ground cardamom (for meat)
Instructions
- Heat 7 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Add sliced garlic, sliced cayenne, and both sliced and whole Serrano peppers. Sauté for 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Increase heat to high and add quartered tomatoes. Stir and cook for 10 minutes until they start to break down.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add crushed garlic, and simmer for 25 minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
- If adding meat, heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat.
- Add beef or lamb strips, season with salt, pepper, and cardamom, and cook until browned on all sides (4–5 minutes per side).
- To serve, spoon the tomato stew into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, and top with cooked beef. Optionally, simmer beef with stew for 10 more minutes to blend flavors.
- Serve warm with pita or shrak bread.
Notes
- Make vegetarian by omitting the meat—add extra garlic or chili for more flavor.
- Lamb offers a deeper flavor than beef if preferred.
- For a chunkier stew, cook tomatoes less to leave them slightly intact.
- Add fresh parsley or cilantro before serving for an herbal touch.
- Increase chili for extra heat, or use bird’s eye chili.
- Store in fridge up to 4 days; reheat with a splash of water or broth.
- Freeze without meat for up to 2 months; thaw before reheating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (without meat)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
