Egyptian Molokhia (jute leaf stew)

Recipe No.: A-1

Arab100 minServes 6

Molokhia is one of Egypt's best-known dishes: finely chopped jute mallow leaves cooked in chicken broth and flavoured with ta'liya, garlic and coriander fried in ghee. A popular claim says the name is pharaonic for "royal" and that it was served to kings, but food historian Mennat-Allah El Dorry says there is no historical evidence for this; the earliest certain record dates to the 11th century CE, when the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah banned it (around AH 395), and the ban was later lifted.

Ingredients for Egyptian Molokhia

• For the broth
• 1 kgbone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 2onions, halved
• 2.4 litreswater (10 cups)
• 2½ tspsalt and ¼ tsp black pepper
• For the molokhia
• 800 gfrozen minced molokhia (two 400 g packs), or 500 g fresh leaves, finely chopped
• For the ta'liya
• 8 clovesgarlic, finely chopped or crushed
• 3 tbspghee, vegetable shortening or oil
• 2 tbspground coriander
• To serve
• White vermicelli rice (2 cups rice)
• Pita or Egyptian baladi bread
• Red onion pickled in lemon juice and vinegar (optional)

Method

1. Place the chicken in a large pot with the water and bring to a boil, skim the foam, then add the onions, salt and pepper.
2. Cover and simmer for 1 hour until the chicken is tender; remove and shred it, strain the broth and return it to the pot.
3. Shortly before serving, bring the broth to a boil, add the frozen molokhia and lower to a very gentle simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Do not let it boil hard or stir vigorously, or it will separate and lose its silky texture.
5. For the ta'liya: heat the ghee in a small pan, add the garlic and stir until light golden, then add the coriander and stir 20 seconds.
6. Pour the sizzling ta'liya into the molokhia at once (it will hiss), stir once and turn off the heat.
7. Serve with the shredded chicken, rice, bread and pickled onions.

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