Egyptian Molokhia Recipe

Anyone who grew up in an Egyptian household knows that Molokhia is the comfort food of all comfort foods! It was a staple dish during my childhood and the one thing EVERYONE was guaranteed to devour leaving no leftovers. To this day, I still get excited going to my mom’s house knowing she has a big pot of Molokhia boiling on the stove. That strong, buttery, garlic smell emanating from the kitchen is synonymous with Egyptian Molokhia and will definitely get your mouth watering.

I have to admit, it took me a while to actually attempt making this Molokhia recipe myself. I didn’t want to risk messing up one of my all-time favorite dishes. And let’s be real, no one can beat my mom’s Egyptian cooking. But once I moved halfway across the country (far, far away from my precious momma) – I knew I had to learn to make this scrumptious Egyptian Molokhia recipe myself. And honestly, once you guys make this recipe, you’re going to wonder what took me so long, because it is THE EASIEST thing you’ll ever make.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

Most of the ingredients found in this recipe are fairly basic: Chicken broth, bouillon, butter, garlic, salt and pepper. The only thing you might have a little trouble finding is the minced molokhia leaves (also known as jute leaves). You can usually find them in the frozen section of any ethnic, international or middle eastern supermarket.

FRESH VS FROZEN MOLOKHIA LEAVES

Occasionally, you can even find FRESH jute leaves sold at your local farmer’s market. Nothing beats fresh when it comes to molokhia, but be prepared for a more time-consuming process if you use fresh leaves. You will need to thoroughly wash, dry and mince the leaves yourself before proceeding with the rest of the recipe. So, whenever you can, stick with the frozen molokhia leaves to keep things easy and efficient!

THE CHICKEN BROTH

If you’ve ever tried my Garlic Okra Soup recipe, you’ll notice that this Egyptian Molokhia recipe follows a very similar process. You start off by boiling a large pot of chicken broth mixed with chicken bouillon. If you want to get really crazy, you can even try making the chicken broth from scratch.

Making broth from scratch is actually the way my mom ALWAYS does it. She would call me crazy if she found out I was using store bought chicken broth. Sorry, Mom! But this is Eyes Closed Cooking after all. And I’m all about QUICKNESS and EFFICIENCY. There’s always going to be a slight difference in flavor when you use homemade vs store bought. But both options still yield an incredibly mouthwatering molokhia dish.

TIME FOR GARLIC!

Once your broth comes to a rolling boiling, you’re going to pop that whole slab of frozen molokhia right into the pot. It will gradually melt and form a delicious soup with a magnificent green color. But it’s not done yet! Because next comes the best part – the garlic!  When you fry up that minced garlic in the melted butter, it is one of the most amazing aromas you’ll ever encounter. I’m not being dramatic here. The garlic and butter are what give this Egyptian Molokhia recipe it’s undeniable flavor.

WAYS TO EAT EGYPTIAN MOLOKHIA

There are a few different ways you can enjoy a pot of Egyptian molokhia. The most popular is pouring it on top of white rice with a side of baked chicken, onions and tomatoes. The next option is simply pouring it into a bowl and enjoying it as a warm soup. And lastly, you can grab your favorite pita or naan bread, cut it up into triangles and use your bowl of molokhia as a delicious dip!

As I’m sure you’ve deduced from my extremely long post, Egyptian Molokhia is obviously a subject I’m passionate about. I’ve grown up eating this dish my whole life and I always thought it was an “acquired taste”. But I’m very curious what other cultures will think of it! I’ve had many friends and extended family try it for the first time and they’ve absolutely loved it. So please give it a try and leave me a comment letting me know your experience! Read below for the full Egyptian Molokhia Recipe!