Molokhia (Egyptian Chicken and Jute Stew Recipe)

A pot of molokhia stew with a side of rice, chopped onions and lemons.

5 from 3 votes

Molokhia (Egyptian Chicken and Jute Stew Recipe)

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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Total Time1 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Egyptian, Levantine, Middle Eastern

Servings: people

Author: Luay Ghafari

Cost: $20

Ingredients

Molokhia Stew

3 lbs Chicken breasts - See note
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 Onion - Peeled and cut in half
3-4 Garlic cloves
4-5 cups Water
1 Bay leaf
8-10 Cardomom pods
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

Fried Spice Topping (Adha)

2 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Ground coriander
3-4 Garlic cloves

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 tbsp 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 bay leaf and cardamom. 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

See the post above for step-by-step recipe photos.

Ingredient 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!

Serve with a side of rice (try my classic vermicelli rice recipe or simple white rice will work).

Nutrition