Shared by Viviane Bowell
Shared by Viviane Bowell
Molokhia
Yield: 6-8 servingsTime: 30 minutes plus 1 hour inactive
Molokhia
Yield: 6-8 servingsTime: 30 minutes plus 1 hour inactiveFamily Journey
Aleppo, SyriaCairo, EgyptLondon
Bristol, England and Toledo, SpainConstantinople (present-day Istanbul)Cairo, Egypt
LondonBristol, England
“Molokhia is one of Egypt's most famous dishes and derives its name from the leaf which gives it its distinctive taste. It looks like spinach because of its colour, but is nothing like it. Instead, it has a glutinous texture which some people may not like,” Viviane Bowell writes in her cookbook “A Culinary legacy: Recipes from a Sephardi Egyptian kitchen.” In the U.S. and Europe, it is nearly impossible to find fresh molokhia, which is a type of mallow, but frozen varieties are available at Middle Eastern and Turkish groceries.
Serve this comforting dish with rice or pita alongside a simple tomato and cucumber salad, as Viviane suggests, and read more about her in “The Jam Fridge of Cairo.”
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2¼ pounds bone-in skin-on chicken drumsticks, or a mixture of chicken thighs and legs
- 10½ cups water
- 2 onions, halved with peel on
- 2½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 2 400g packs of frozen molokhia (use straight from the freezer)
For the garlic and coriander mixture (ta'aliya):
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
Preparation
Step 1
Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with 10½ cups of water. Bring to a boil, then add the onion, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, skimming off any scum that rises, until the chicken is tender and the broth is flavorful. Remove the chicken, let it cool, and shred into pieces. Set aside in a bowl. Strain the stock and return it to the pot.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the coriander, then remove from the heat.
Step 3
Just before you are ready to serve, bring the broth to a boil, add 2 packs of frozen molokhia and reduce to a light simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and leave the pot uncovered until the molokhia has completely thawed. Be careful not to boil or stir, as this can result in separation.
Step 4
Add the garlic and coriander mix, and stir to combine. If necessary, add some water to achieve the desired consistency and adjust the seasoning to taste.
Step 5
Serve in bowls with rice or pita bread. The bread can be broken into pieces and then used to scoop the molokhia, or it can be added to the bowl of soup and eaten with a spoon.
