Molokhia is simply the most Egyptian food there is, it’s a type of a stew that is very commonly eaten here in Egypt, so what is it really?

Well Molokhia, known in English as Jew's Mallow, Jute Mallow or Nalta is a green leafy plant similar to spinach, the only parts that are eaten are the leaves, which are picked from the stems and are minced using a vegetable grinder into very small pieces and are then set aside. Molokhia can be made using a variety of techniques, it can be vegetarian based or it can be made using rabbit, duck, beef, lamb, chicken, and even seafood. Some people prefer adding chunks of beef, chicken, or any of the above mentioned items to the stew, others just prefer using the broth in making this very tasty dish, though, and I have to be honest, Molokhia doesn’t look appealing at all!

It has an extremely slimy texture and pieces of meat floating inside don’t really help, but the taste is fantastic, at least I think so.

You can also make Molokhia using stock cubes.

Preparation:

The preparation involves bringing the seasoned stock to a boiling temperature and then adding the minced Molokhia to it, it is then left to simmer for not more than 10 minutes. While it simmers, crush a healthy amount of garlic into a fine paste, and when I say healthy I mean about a head of garlic to every 500 grams of Molokhia. After the garlic is crushed melt some butter or if you are trying to manage your weight, you can use sunflower or corn oil instead, heat the oil or melt the butter and add the garlic with a some ground coriander seeds, you would also need about a tablespoon to every head of garlic and 500gm of Molokhia, let the garlic fry gently for about 30 seconds and then add to the simmering Molokhia, you can control the consistency of the Molokhia by adding more or less broth, I personally prefer it thick, its a lot easier to eat it that way.

Some people add a thick tomato sauce made only with tomatoes garlic and vinegar to the Molokhia, this sauce is called either salsa or dima'aa, it is used as a condiment or a topping and is optional.

Molokhia is typically served with Egyptian short grain rice, some people add vermicelli to the rice while it is cooking; this type of rice is called roz bil sha’ria. Rice is added on to a plate then the molokhia is added before the dima'aa is added on top.

And if are going to attempt to make it your self then be advised that Molokhia comes in the green leafy form, a pre prepared frozen form and a dried form, if you buy the dried form just use it the same way you would use any of the other ones, just be careful with the amount of stock you add, and enjoy.

I have to warn you though, Molokhia tends to make you very sleepy so eat it and prepare yourself to be knocked out.

Facts and history:

Molokhia, of the scientific genus, Corchorus, is rich in fibres, as well as beta-carotene, iron, calcium, and Vitamin C.

It is said that the original name for Molokhia is Molokia (meaning “royal” or “for royalty” in Arabic), and gradually altered to its present name

But Molokhia also has an interesting and somewhat funny history. A thousand years ago, a ruler of Egypt, the Fatimid Caliph, Al-Hakim bi Amr-Allah, known for many other strange decisions, banned the public from eating Molokhia, because a rival leader used to reportedly like it.