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Molokhia
Jute leaf soup
Molokhiya: silky jute-leaf soup with a sizzling garlic and coriander ta'leya
Molokhia is one of the oldest dishes on the Egyptian table, eaten across the country from Alexandria to Upper Egypt, usually at a family lunch with white rice and torn baladi bread. The finely minced leaves of the jute plant cook in stock in minutes into a bright green, gently slippery soup; at the end a ta'leya of garlic and ground coriander fried in oil is poured in with a loud hiss. Most families cook it with chicken or rabbit broth, but a well-flavoured vegetable stock makes a lovely, light vegan version. Frozen minced molokhia from Middle Eastern grocers is what most Cairo cooks use too. Chef's tip: some cooks take a sharp breath (the shahqa) as the ta'leya goes in; joke or not, the point is to pour it in while the garlic is still sizzling hot.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the soup
- 4 ¼ cups vegetable stock
- 14 oz frozen molokhia (finely chopped jute leaves)thawed, or 2 × 200 g packs
- ½ tsp saltto taste
For the ta'leya
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 8 cloves garliccrushed to a paste
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
To serve
- 4 lemon wedges (optional)
- 14 oz cooked white rice (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Bring 4 ¼ cups vegetable stock to a gentle boil in a pan over a medium-high heat. Taste it now: the stock is most of the flavour, so season it well with ½ tsp salt.
5 minStep 2: Turn the heat down to medium and stir in 14 oz frozen molokhia (finely chopped jute leaves), breaking up any lumps with a whisk. Heat until small bubbles appear at the edge and the soup turns bright green, about 4–5 minutes.
5 minStep 3: Turn the heat to its lowest setting. Do not let the soup boil hard from here on: boiling makes the leaves sink and separate from the liquid (Egyptians say the molokhia has 'fallen'), which is the most common mistake.
Step 4: Make the ta'leya. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a small pan over a medium heat and add 8 cloves garlic. Fry, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until it turns pale gold and smells sweet. Add 2 tsp ground coriander and ¼ tsp cayenne pepper and stir for 10 seconds; it will foam and smell toasty.
3 minStep 5: Straight away tip the sizzling ta'leya into the soup. It will hiss loudly. Stir once, cover and leave on the lowest heat for 2 minutes so the garlic scents the whole pot.
2 minStep 6: Ladle into bowls and serve hot with 14 oz cooked white rice on the side, or spooned over it, and 4 lemon wedges to squeeze in. Bread is good for dipping too.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 8 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does molokhia take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of vegetable stock?
- Chicken stock, same amount (not vegetarian).
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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