It’s getting cold, and all that our families need is a warm room and a hot bite to feed their empty stomachs. What better way to satisfy your taste buds than with a warm and gentle Mulukhiyah dish made with love? Winter is when Mulukhiyah stew becomes the queen of the table.
Whether during big family gatherings or on little cozy nights this yummy meal has high importance! It can be served for lunch, dinner, or both. I think we all have the memory of its delicious smell stored somewhere in our hearts! The smell when we come home from school or the one at grandma’s house!
A Stew that Defines True Love
What is Mulukhiyah (Jute Mallow Stew)?
Mulukhiyah (molokhiyye, mloukhieh, molohiya, or ewedu) is an authentic Middle Eastern stew. It’s made of jute leaves cooked to become soft and mallow combined with spices and the tangy flavor of lemon juice. All ingredients come together to create a beautiful green dish with chicken or minced beef. Served along with rice on the side and a piece of bread.
Mulukhiyah stew has different methods of preparation according to every country in the Middle East. It differs mostly in the amount of soup in the dish and the structure of the jute leaves. Sometimes we can add more spices than others depending on how spicy we like it to be. Palestinians are mostly used to the soup kind of Mulukhiyah. We love it when tender leaves are cooked in a delicious garlic, lemony base, and topped with chicken! It can be served with rice or pita bread.
A Green Warm Combination
One of the most important discussions between Arab moms is: “How to make the best Mulukhiyah?” In our culture, getting the credit for cooking it right is like winning a gold medal!
The biggest reward for an Arabic mom is to get applause from her family members or visitors on a Mulukhiyah well done. The main goal is to see the smiles on their faces and guarantee a full, satisfied tummy. So put on your crown of the cooking queen and let’s learn how to stay on top!
Pro Tips
Make sure you keep the good leaves and pick up the long stems for better results.
Take your time in washing the Molokhia, it may take up to 20 minutes, so be patient till the water is perfectly clear.
Add more water to the chicken so that you can adjust the liquid depending on your own taste.
How To Store Mulukhiyah or Jute Leaves for Anytime Use?
When cooking, many of us like to find the main ingredients stored in the freezer or fridge, to get them just when in need. You can either store fresh leaves or fried dried ones, it all depends on your taste. But, both ways are simplified for you here so you can use whichever method you like best!
So here’s what you need to do if you want to keep your jute leaves fresh. First of all, on a dry surface pluck the leaves and throw out the branches. It’s very important to keep it all dry for an easy process and longer use of the Mulukhiyah. Then, grab a neat piece of clothing or towel, wrap it well, cover in a container, and place it in the fridge.
To do it the other way, you just have to continue after plucking, fry it in some oil well, and then keep it to dry. Wait till it’s cold and store it the same way.
Some might wash the leaves and dry them before starting with the whole process or you can just do the washing step whenever you want to use it for your cooking.
Try one of our easy ways and enjoy cooking Mulukhiyah anytime!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can find them at middle eastern stores. Can be fresh or dried, but personally, I prefer dried leaves for a more delicious result.
Yes, you can as long as the cleaning step is over. If the leaves were fried before freezing then don’t repeat this step again, just allow it to cook in the pot. You can find them frozen at Middle Eastern stores or freeze them at home.
Cleaning and washing are the most important steps to reduce slimy texture. Another way is to add lemon slices to the pot.
Try to serve it with quinoa, cauliflower rice, or whole wheat bread instead of the usual rice and pita bread.
Try Extra Juicy Mulukhiyah
Ingredients
For Mulukhiyah
Molokhia Leaves (I recommend tazah store, but you can find them at any other place)
Water
Chicken Bullion
Salt
Lemon Juice
Aleppo pepper
Coriander powder
Garlic powder
Garlic cloves
Olive oil
Roma tomato (optional)
Cooked boneless skinless chicken (boiled or repurposed)
For Rice
Vermicelli
Oil
Jasmine rice (washed and soaked)
Salt
Water
Steps To Prep
Let’s move into the beautiful journey of making this beloved dish!
For Mulukhiyah
First, Soak the mulukhiyah leaves in water for 1½ hours, making sure to change the water every 30 minutes.
Then, wash it again very well and repeatedly. Squeeze as much water as you can, till the water is clear.
Now, add to a pot oil and heat on medium, then add the chopped garlic and sauté until golden.
Next, add the squeezed and soaked Mulukhiyah leaves and mix.
After that, add the spices, tomato, cooked chicken, and water then mix again. You can add chili with your spices depending on taste.
Finally, cover and let it simmer on medium-low for 15-20 minutes, then add your desired amount of lemon juice.
For Rice
First of all, sauté the vermicelli in the oil until light brown in color.
Then, add the soaked and washed rice and sauté for a minute.
After that, add the salt then add the water and let it boil for 3-5 minutes.
Finally, cover and reduce heat to low, letting it cook for 12-15 minutes.
Try Other Recipes:
Authentic Middle Eastern Chicken Shawarma
Traditional Palestinian Musakhan Recipe
Restaurant Style Butter Chicken (cheat version)
Palestinian Purslane Stew Recipe
If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience. You can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Mulukhiyyah Stew (Jute Mallow Stew)
Ingredients
For Mulukhiyyah
- 5 cups tightly packed Mulukhiyyah (Jute) Leaves
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tablespoon Chicken Bullion
- Salt To Taste
- Lemon Juice To Taste
- 1 tablespoon aleppo pepper
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 8 garlic cloves large ones
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small roma tomato optional
- 1½ cups cooked boneless skinless chicken boiled or repurposed
For Rice
- ⅓ cup vermicelli
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1½ cups jasmine rice washed and soaked
- 1½ tablespoons salt
- 1¾ cups water
Instructions
For Mulukhiyyah
- Wash the mulukhiyyah (jute leaves) then soak in water for 1½ hours, making sure to change the water every 30 minutes.
- Wash it repeatedly and squeeze as much water as you can, till water is clear.
- To a pot, add oil and heat on medium heat, then add the chopped garlic and saute until golden.
- Add the squeezed and soaked mulukhiyyah leaves and mix.
- Add the spices, tomato, cooked chicken, and water then mix again.
- Cover and let it simmer on medium low for 15-20 minutes, then add your desired amount of lemon juice.
For the Rice
- Sauté the vermicelli in the oil until light brown in color.
- Add the soaked and washed rice and saute for a minute.
- Add the salt, then add the water and let it boil for 3-5 minutes.
- Cover and reduce heat to low, letting it cook for 12-15 minutes.
Notes
- Make sure you keep the best leaves and pick up the the long stems.
- Take your time in washing the Mulukhiyah, it may take up to 20 minutes, so be patient till water is perfectly clear.
- Add more water to the chicken so that you can adjust the liquid depending on your own taste.
- Cleaning and washing are the most important steps to reduce slimy texture.
This looks super yummy! Can I ask what brand of jasmine rice do you use? I usually just use basmati but I’m willing to give jasmine rice a try.
hi! Thanks. I use Mahatma!
This recipe is amazing, thank you for all your recipes ❤️