If you know, you know! Molokhia is a hearty and delicious Egyptian Chicken and Jute Stew that is made throughout the Arab world. This recipe uses the more readily available and accessible frozen molokhia leaves.
This recipe is popular all year, but especially during Ramadan when it is considered a staple Ramadan recipe. Serve it with Vermicelli rice!
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What is Molokhia?
Molokhia, also spelled as Mloukhia, Mloukhieh, Mulukhiyah or Mulukhia, is a green leafy vegetable popular in Middle Eastern, North African, and some Asian cuisines. It's also known as Egyptian spinach, Jute mallow or Jews mallow (Jew’s mallow). The leaves of the molokhia plant are used in various dishes, particularly in soups and stews like in this recipe.
The leaves have a somewhat slimy texture when cooked, similar to okra, and they are rich in vitamins and minerals. Molokhia is often cooked with chicken, rabbit, or other meats, and flavored with garlic, coriander, and other spices.
It's typically served with rice or bread and is considered a nutritious and flavorful dish in many cultures where it's consumed.
The history of the molokhia stew recipe dates back centuries, with its origins believed to be in ancient Egypt. Molokhia has been a staple in Egyptian cuisine for thousands of years, and its consumption spread to other regions of the Middle East and North Africa over time.
You will find variations, especially in the Levant where it a staple Levantine recipe. It is prepared a little differently from country to country and from family to family.
Ingredients
This recipe is not difficult to make. Finding the molokhia leaves is the most challenging part (see next section for more on this).
- Chicken: I prefer using chicken breast in this recipe (bone in and skin on), but you can use boneless and skinless chicken breast. If you prefer the flavor of dark meat, you can use bone-in chicken thighs. You can also use a whole chicken that’s been cut into pieces. You can use another type of meat if you prefer like lamb shanks.
- Whole Spices: The whole spices are used to flavor the broth, which will be the basis for the stew. Bay leaves and cardamom are traditional. You can also add a cinnamon stick if you like that warm earthy flavor profile.
- Ground Coriander: Ground coriander is used to make the “adha”, which is a seasoned finishing oil. The ground coriander and garlic are fried together and then added to the stew before serving.
- Molokhia Leaves (jute mallow leaves): The most challenging ingredient to find, molokhia is often sold in the frozen section of your local African or Middle Eastern market. The leaves are chopped and frozen into bricks. I recommend you use chopped frozen molokhia.
- Fresh peppers and tomato: These ingredients are used to help remove or neutralize some of the sliminess you can get from molokhia. Don’t ask me how it works (or better yet ask my father who told me about this trick!). You don’t have to do this, but it has become a tradition in our family even if there may be no scientific evidence to back up the claim!
- Vinegar: Vinegar is used in the onion dressing. I like white distilled vinegar, but feel free to use red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Molokhia Stew?
This is a generally easy-to-prepare recipe. Read through all the steps before starting so you can familiarize yourself with the process.
Step 1. Sear the Chicken. Season the chicken pieces liberally with salt and pepper. To a large Dutch oven or large pot set on medium-high heat, add a bit of olive oil and sear the seasoned chicken skin side down (Image 1). After a few minutes, flip the chicken and sear (Image 2). The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through.
Step 2. Make Broth. To the same pot, add your onion and garlic (Image 3). Add the water, making sure to cover the chicken (Image 4). Add the whole spices (Image 5). Bring the broth to a boil and simmer on low heat for 45-60 minutes, partially covered.
Step 3. Strain Broth. When the broth is ready, carefully remove the chicken pieces and set them on a plate. Strain the chicken broth through a fine mesh sieve over a clean pot (Image 6-7).
Step 4. Shred Chicken. Let the chicken cool for 15 minutes and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside (Image 8).
Step 5. Make Molokhia. To the strained broth, add the brick of frozen molokhia (Image 9). Bring the broth to a boil, add the halved peppers and pierced tomato (Image 10). Simmer on low for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the tomato and peppers (optional). Add the shredded chicken back to the stew (Image 11).
Step 6. Make the Adha. To a frying pan, add olive oil, ground coriander and crushed garlic (Image 12). Fry on medium heat until fragrant, for 30-60 seconds (Image 13).
Step 7. Finish the Stew. Quickly pour the adha all over the stew and stir (Image 14-15). Adjust the seasoning.
Step 8. Make the shallot garnish. To a small bowl, combine the chopped shallots, peppers, vinegar and water (Image 16).
Step 9. Serve. Serve the stew with rice, chopped shallots and lemon wedges (Image 17).
Serving Suggestions
Molokhia can be served as a soup or as a stew. I like pairing it with vermicelli rice or plain white rice. Lemon juice is a must. You can also serve it with some chili paste or hot sauce (try my Shatta or fermented hot sauce recipes). Some people will serve it with toasted pita bread that’s crushed for added texture.
Another way to prepare the chicken is to not shred it at all. You can serve large pieces of chicken on the side. Alternatively, you can roast the chicken with potatoes and serve those alongside the molokhia (and use boxed or homemade chicken broth instead). There are different ways to enjoy this recipe, so feel free to adjust as needed.
Serving molokhia with a simple tomato sauce is also popular. This can be a simple sauce flavored with garlic and onions. Use a passata or crushed tomatoes. The sauce should be thin and smooth.
Expert Tips
- Use fresh whole leaves. If you live in an area with a large Middle Eastern population, you will likely find fresh leaves at your local Middle Eastern grocery store when in season. Fresh molokhia leaves should be stripped from the stems (making sure to discard any yellow leaves). The stems are inedible, so discard those too. Wash the leaves several times in a large colander. As you wash the leaves, squeeze out the water. The liquid should run clear. Chop the leaves or use a food processor. The fresh chopped leaves can be added to the hot broth in the same way the frozen molokhia is added in this recipe.
- Adjust the broth amount. For a thicker consistency, use less broth or boil your broth down further. For a soupy consistency, you can use more broth.
- Don’t overboil the stew. Once the frozen molokhia leaves are added to the broth, don’t cook for longer than 10-15 minutes. If you cook the stew too long, it’ll lose its dark green color.
- Serve in the cooking pot or a large bowl. If you’re making this for a dinner party, serve the stew in a serving bowl.
Recipe FAQs
If you’re looking to save time, you can make the chicken stock and shredded chicken in advance. Store the chicken broth and shredded chicken separately (airtight container). I recommend making the molokhia stew before serving. The stew will turn from a bright green color to a dull yellow/brown color if you make it too far in advance.
Store the stew, onion garnish and rice in separate containers for up to 3 days in the fridge. Glass airtight containers are best.
Like okra, sometimes the slimness is just par of the course with molokhia. Serving with vinegar-seasoned onions and lemon wedges helps cut the slime. Follow my tomato and pepper trick in the recipe to help cut the slime.
Yes, simply omit the chicken completely and use vegetable stock. Feel free to serve with a plant-based protein of your choice for a complete meal.
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Recipe Card
Molokhia (Egyptian Chicken and Jute Stew Recipe)
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Chicken breasts - See note
- 4 tablespoon Olive oil - Divided
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 Onion - Peeled and cut in half
- 6-8 Garlic cloves - Divided
- 4-5 cups Water
- 1 Packet frozen chopped molokhia - See note
- 1 Jalapeno - Cut in half
- 1 Small sweet pepper - Cut in half
- 1 Small tomato - Slit with a knife, but kept whole
- 1 tablespoon Ground coriander
Shallot Garnish
- 2 Shallots - Very finely chopped
- ½ Jalapeno or Serrano pepper - Very finely chopped (Optional, use more or less to taste)
- ¼ cup White vinegar
- Water to dilute
- Lemon wedges to serve
Instructions
- Sear the Chicken. Season the chicken pieces liberally with salt and pepper. To a large Dutch oven or large pot set on medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoon olive oil and sear the seasoned chicken skin side down, for 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and sear on the other side for 3 minutes. The chicken doesn’t need to be cooked through.
- Make Broth. To the same pot, add your onion halves and 3-4 peeled garlic cloves. Add the water, making sure to cover the chicken. Add the whole spices. Bring the broth to a boil and simmer on low heat for 45-60 minutes, partially covered.
- Strain Broth. When the broth is ready, carefully remove the chicken pieces and set them on a plate. Strain the chicken broth through a fine mesh sieve over a clean pot.
- Shred Chicken. Let the chicken cool for 15 minutes and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
- Make Molokhia. To the strained broth, add the brick of frozen molokhia. Bring the broth to a boil, add the halved peppers and pierced tomato. Simmer on low for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove the tomato and peppers (optional). Add the shredded chicken back to the stew.
- Make the Adha. To a frying pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ground coriander and 3-4 cloves of garlic (crushed finely). Fry on medium heat until fragrant, for 30-60 seconds (don’t burn).
- Finish the Stew. Quickly pour the adha all over the stew and stir.
- Make the shallot garnish. To a small bowl, combine the chopped shallots, peppers, vinegar and water.
- Serve. Serve the stew with rice, chopped shallots and lemon wedges.
Notes
- Chicken: I prefer using chicken breast in this recipe (bone in and skin on), but you can use boneless and skinless chicken breast. If you prefer the flavor of dark meat, you can use bone-in chicken thighs.
- Molokhia Leaves (jute mallow leaves): The most challenging ingredient to find, molokhia is often sold in the frozen section of your local Middle Eastern stores. The leaves are chopped and frozen into bricks. I recommend you use chopped frozen molokhia.
- Fresh peppers and tomato: These ingredients are used to help remove or neutralize some of the sliminess you can get from molokhia. Don’t ask me how it works (or better yet ask my father who told me about this trick!). You don’t have to do this, but it has become a tradition in our family even if there may be no scientific evidence to back up the claim!
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