Entree: Egypt – Central Culinary Region – ملوخية ➤ Mulukhiyah (A savory Egyptian stew of finely chopped jute leaves cooked in broth and typically served with rice and shredded meat)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 38 min

Additional 10 min

Total 55 min

Ingredients

- 1 whole chicken, about 3 lb (1.4 kg), cut into pieces
- 8 cups (1.9 L) water
- 1 large onion, quartered
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lb (450 g) fresh molokhia (jute) leaves, finely chopped (or 10 oz / 280 g frozen)
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced (about 3 tbsp / 45 g)
- 2 tsp (10 g) ground coriander
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp (2 g) ground black pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp / 30 ml)
- 2 cups (370 g) short-grain rice, cooked, for serving
- Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. In a large pot combine the chicken pieces, water, quartered onion, bay leaf, 1 tsp salt, and a few peppercorns if desired. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then reduce to a simmer and cook 30–40 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
2. Remove the chicken from the broth, strain and reserve the broth. Shred the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces and set aside.
3. Return 6 cups (1.4 L) of the strained broth to the pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the chopped molokhia leaves and cook over low heat 5–8 minutes, stirring; do not boil vigorously to preserve texture.
4. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and ground coriander and fry, stirring constantly, until garlic is golden and aromatic, about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
5. Pour the garlic–coriander mixture into the simmering molokhia and season with remaining salt and pepper. Add shredded chicken to warm through for 2–3 minutes.
6. Serve molokhia hot over cooked short-grain rice with lemon wedges on the side and additional shredded chicken alongside.