Molokhia

How to Cook Molokhia

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1. Simmer the chicken with the water, onion, bay, cardamom, cinnamon and salt for 45 minutes, skimming the surface at the start.

   Mark done Start 45 min timer

2. Lift out the chicken. Strain the stock and measure 1.2 litres of it back into a clean pot.

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3. Roast or grill the chicken pieces at 220°C / 430°F fan for 15 minutes until the skin is browned, and keep warm.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

4. Bring the stock to a simmer, then lower the heat so it is barely moving.

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5. Add the molokhia leaves and stir gently. Keep the pot below a simmer for 8 minutes — you should see the surface tremble, never bubble.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

6. For the taqliya, heat the ghee in a small pan and fry the garlic paste with the salt for 90 seconds until it turns pale gold and smells sweet.

   Mark done Start 90 sec timer

7. Add the ground coriander and chilli and fry 20 seconds more. It should sizzle furiously.

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8. Take the molokhia off the heat and pour the taqliya in — it will hiss loudly. Cover the pot immediately and leave 5 minutes.

   Mark done

9. Stir once and serve over rice with the roast chicken, lemon and vinegared onion.

   Mark done

Related guide: Choosing rice.

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Keep an Eye on These

1. Never boil the leaves. Below a simmer, always.
2. The taqliya goes in off the heat, and the lid goes straight on.
3. Do not stir it much once the leaves are in — it breaks the texture.

Ingredient Swaps

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

Good to Know About Molokhia

Molokhia must never boil once the leaves are in — boiling breaks the mucilage that gives it its silky body and leaves you with green water and sludge. The taqliya, garlic and coriander fried hard in ghee and poured in at the end, is added off the heat and the pot is covered immediately so the aroma stays in.

To Go With It

Egyptian rice · Roast or grilled chicken · Lemon and vinegared onion

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Eish Merahrah.

Storing Leftovers

Refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat below a simmer only; boiling ruins it permanently.

The Numbers per Serving

No nutrition figures are given for this recipe: they cannot be worked out reliably from its ingredient list (some ingredient lines cannot be read). Why some recipes have none.

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