Molokhia (ملوخية (mulukhiyah))
Overview
Molokhia is Egypt's famous green soup made from the finely chopped leaves of jute mallow. Cooked briefly in chicken or rabbit broth, the leaves give the soup a smooth, slightly viscous texture. Its essential finish is the taqleya: garlic and ground coriander fried in ghee until fragrant, then stirred in with a sizzle. It is eaten with rice or bread, alongside the chicken used for the broth, and sometimes with lemon. It is both everyday home food and a dish many Egyptians feel nostalgic about.
Pictures
History
Jute mallow has been eaten in Egypt and the Levant since ancient times. A well-known story tells that a medieval Fatimid caliph banned molokhia for ordinary people, which only added to its legend. Today it is cooked across the Middle East and North Africa in different styles, with Egyptians favouring the finely minced, soupy version.
Main ingredients
Jute mallow leaves, chicken or rabbit broth, garlic, coriander, ghee, lemon. The soup is built on chicken broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~45 min
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh or frozen minced molokhia
- 1.2 l chicken broth
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 tbsp ghee or butter
- lemon, rice to serve
Allergens: Contains: Milk. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.
Method
- Bring the broth to a simmer and stir in the molokhia; cook for 5 minutes without boiling hard.
- Fry the garlic and coriander in ghee until golden.
- Stir the hot garlic mixture into the soup.
- Season and serve with rice, chicken and lemon.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.