Molokhia — Jute Leaves with Chicken

A singular dish — finely minced jute mallow leaves simmered with chicken broth and garlic until thick
and slightly mucilaginous, topped with fried garlic and coriander, served over rice. An Egyptian,
Syrian, and Palestinian staple. The texture divides people but the flavour converts skeptics.

FASTING LEVEL: Non-Fasting (chicken)

SERVINGS: 6
TIME: 2 hours

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 whole chicken (1.5 kg), cut into pieces
- 3 litres water
- 1 large onion, halved
- 5 cardamom pods
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt

For the molokhia:
- 500 g frozen chopped molokhia (jute leaves), thawed — or 1 kg fresh, finely chopped. Dried can also be used.
- 8 cloves garlic, minced to a paste
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons ghee, for the tasha (tempering)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced, for the tasha
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander, for the tasha

For serving:
- Egyptian rice (short-grain) or basmati, cooked
- Lemon wedges
- Sliced red onion soaked in lemon juice

METHOD:
1. Place chicken in a large pot with water, onion, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a simmer, skim foam. Cook 60 minutes until chicken is cooked. Strain broth. Shred chicken meat; discard skin and bones.
2. Return broth (you should have about 2 litres) to a clean pot.
3. Melt 2 tablespoons ghee in a small pan. Add 8 cloves garlic paste, 2 tablespoons coriander, cumin, and cayenne. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add to the broth.
4. Add thawed molokhia to the broth. Simmer gently 15-20 minutes. Do not boil hard — boiling causes the leaves to separate from the broth in an unpleasant way. The mixture should thicken into a slightly viscous soup.
5. Stir in vinegar or lemon juice.
6. Make the tasha (traditional topping): heat 2 tablespoons ghee in a small pan until almost smoking. Add minced garlic and 2 tablespoons coriander. Cook 60-90 seconds until garlic is just turning golden. Pour this sizzling mixture into the molokhia pot — it should crackle loudly. Stir once.
7. Return shredded chicken to the pot. Warm through 5 minutes.
8. To serve: place a mound of rice in each bowl. Top with shredded chicken. Ladle molokhia over. Offer lemon wedges and onion salad alongside.

NOTES:
- Molokhia is a love-it-or-hate-it dish due to the slightly slippery texture of the jute leaves. Egyptians call this quality "mulokhiyah" and prize it.
- The tasha (garlic-coriander tempering) is the non-negotiable signature. When poured into the pot, it should sizzle so loudly that (Egyptian superstition) it wakes the dead.
- Stir in ONE direction only while simmering to prevent the leaves from breaking up.
- Frozen molokhia from Middle Eastern grocers is the most practical. Dried and fresh are also excellent if you can find them.

NUTRITION (per serving, approximate):
Calories: 420 | Protein: 32 g | Carbohydrates: 36 g | Fat: 16 g | Fibre: 5 g