Authentic Molokhia (Mulukhiya)
Molokhia is a leafy green plant called Jute Mallow that is commonly simmered in chicken broth, garlic, and coriander to make this flavourful stew. Serve with Egyptian rice or bread, it's comfort in a bowl!
Ingredients
For the broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5-6 cardamom pods
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns
- 1 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1 medium sized whole chicken, cut into quarters, or 4 full legs
- 8-10 cups water, enough to cover the chicken
- 1 onion, quartered
For the molokhia
- 4-5 cups broth, made using instructions for the broth
- 1 cube vegetable stock or bouillon (optional), add 1/2 cup water if using
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 400 grams frozen molokhia (jute mallow), 1x frozen package
For the tasha
- 15 garlic cloves, peeled, 45 grams
- 2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
For the broth
- Start by heating the olive oil in a large pot on medium heat, add in the peppercorns, cardamom, bay leaves, salt and pepper
- Stir together for a few minutes until fragrant before adding and searing the chicken pieces on each side for a few minutes until lightly golden
- Add water and the onion and bring broth to a boil before covering and lowering the heat
- Allow broth to simmer for at least 45 minutes or up to 1-2 hours. You may need to skim off and discard any scum while it is simmering
- Take the chicken out and set aside. Strain the broth to remove the whole spices and onion. Set aside.
For the molokhia
- Add the strained broth back into the pot filling the pot about a third of the way or using about 4-5 cups of broth. It's better to start with less broth and add more as needed to avoid molokhia that is too thin
- If using the vegetable stock cube or bouillon, dissolve in the 1/2 cup of water before adding it to the broth in the pot
- Season mixture with salt and pepper if needed, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer
- Add the frozen molokhia (no need to defrost!) and mix until it has defrosted and completely mixed into the broth, leaving it at a slow simmer
- Taste again and adjust seasoning if necessary
For the tasha
- In a food processor, blend together the garlic cloves and the ground coriander
- In a skillet, heat up the ghee or butter and the olive oil over medium-low heat
- Add the garlic and coriander mixture to the skillet and sauté for 3-4 minutes until the garlic turns lightly golden and fragrant, stirring frequently to avoid burning
To finish the molokhia
- Pour in the sautéed garlic and coriander over the simmering molokhia
- Scoop up the molokhia and pour it into the sauté pan to get every last bit of garlic and flavour
- Stir together until well incorporated. If you like the consistency, turn off the heat. Otherwise, simmer it to thicken it to your desired consistency
- Lightly fry or broil the chicken pieces in oil and serve alongside the molokhia. Or you can shred the chicken and add it right into the molokhia pot
- Serve hot with Egyptian rice or bread
Notes
- This recipe uses frozen minced molokhia. For fresh molokhia, refer the blog post for instructions on how to prepare it
- This molokhia recipe is Egyptian style. Refer to the blog post for how Lebanese style molokhia is slightly different
- Adjust the thickness of the molokhia to your liking, using less or more broth as needed
- Aim to use fresh homemade chicken broth vs. the store bought broth because it has a lot more flavour
Serving: 1g, Calories: 550kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 87mg, Sodium: 31409mg, Potassium: 1058mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 4871IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 163mg, Iron: 4mg
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