Molokhia
Ingredients
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- 3 1/2 pounds whole chicken – cut into 8 pieces
- 8 cups water
- 1 onion – quartered
- 1 carrot – roughly chopped
- 1 celery stalk – roughly chopped
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt – divided
- 16 ounces frozen chopped molokhia leaves – partially thawed
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 8 cloves garlic – finely minced
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 lemon – cut into wedges (for serving)
- white rice – steamed (for serving)
Instructions
1. Combine the chicken pieces, water, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skim foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender, 45–60 minutes (meat should register 165°F and pull from the bone easily).
2. Lift the chicken out and set aside for serving. Strain the broth through a fine sieve; return 5 cups of clear broth to a clean pot and keep it at a bare simmer over low heat. Reserve any extra hot broth to adjust consistency later.
3. Pull the chicken into serving pieces or large shreds and keep warm, covered.
4. For the ta'leya, melt the ghee in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and ground coriander and cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and just turning pale golden, 1–2 minutes; do not let the garlic brown deeply.
5. With the broth at a bare simmer (do not boil), add the partially thawed molokhia in handfuls, stirring so it loosens and disperses. Cook gently over low heat until the leaves are tender and the soup thickens slightly, 3–5 minutes; keep it just below a simmer to preserve the green color and avoid a slimy texture.
6. Season the soup with the remaining kosher salt to taste and the ground black pepper. Scrape the hot ta'leya into the pot and immediately cover for 30 seconds, then uncover and stir. Adjust with a splash of hot broth if too thick.
7. Ladle molokhia into bowls. Serve the chicken alongside or nestle pieces into the bowls. Offer lemon wedges and steamed white rice for serving.
Molokhia is a silky, vividly green soup made from finely chopped jute mallow leaves simmered in savory broth. Its hallmark aroma comes from ta'leya, a quick fry of garlic and ground coriander bloomed in ghee and stirred in at the end. The result is a comforting, herbaceous bowl with gentle body, meant to be brightened with lemon and paired with rice or bread.
In Egypt, molokhia is a beloved home staple and a fixture at family gatherings, often served with chicken or rabbit and plain rice. The dish traces back to ancient Egyptian cookery and appears throughout medieval Arabic culinary texts, with local techniques evolving over centuries. While versions exist across the Levant and North Africa, the Egyptian style is distinguished by its finely chopped texture and the decisive finish of garlicky ta'leya.