Ancient Jute Leaf Stew - Egyptian Molokhia Recipe

Description:

Molokhia (Jute Leaf stew) has been eaten in Egypt since the time of the Pharaohs. From Ancient Egypt it has evolved into a household staple. The dish is eaten throughout the middle east and in parts of Africa, today I'll be showing you how to cook it the Egyptian Way.

I'm Obi from Middle Eats and I'm on a mission to show you how to cook delicious food from across the Middle East. Give the video a like if you enjoyed it and if you want to request a Middle Eastern Recipe, please leave a comment below.

00:00 Intro
00:42 Ingredients Prep
02:04 Breaking down a whole chicken
05:50 Making the stock
07:10 Making the tomato sauce
08:00 Assembling the Molokhia
09:36 Frying the chicken and garlic
10:27 Serving the dish
11:49 Ingredients


Ingredients:

Stock:
1 chicken
1 medium onion
4 cloves of garlic
5 cardamom pods
2 pieces of mastic
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp of salt
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp butter/ghee
200g chopped tomatoes or half a can (optional but gives a very nice hint of acidity in the molokheya)

Tomato Sauce (Dimaa):
200g chopped tomatoes (half a can) crushed in blender
1/2 cup water
1/2 tbsp butter/ghee
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Molokheya:
400g of minced Molokheya
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ground coriander
2-3 cups stock
1/2 tbsp butter

Tasha:
1 tbsp butter/ghee
4 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp ground corriander

Directions:

To make the stock:

1. Chop an Onion into 4-6 large pieces
2. Cut the tip off your cardamom pods
3. Peel and crush your garlic
4. Melt your butter and mastic in a pot on medium heat
5. Add your whole spices and stir until fragrant
6. Add chicken and sear till browned on all sides
7. Add onion, garlic, and chopped tomatoes
8. Add room temp water, enough to cover chicken then turn heat up to high
9. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Skim off any scum that floats to the surface
10. Turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for half an hour

To make the Tomato Sauce (Dimaa):

1. Mince your garlic then fry in butter until fragrant
2. Add tomatoes and water before the garlic browns
3. Bring to a boil, add pepper then simmer for 15 minutes
4. Add salt and remove from heat when consistency resembles marinara

To make the Molokheya:
1. Strain your stock and rinse the pot
2. Add the butter to your pot then crush the garlic and add it
3. Cook the garlic for 30 seconds and then add the ground coriander
4. Add 2.5 cups of stock back to the pot and bring to a boil
5. Add your frozen molokhia to the pot and turn the heat down to medium low
6. When the molokhia has melted, let it simmer for a few minutes and use the ladel to mix until the stew comes together
7. Pour out into a serving dish to cool

To make the Tasha:
1. Melt your butter in a small saucepan
2. Mince your garlic and add it, alongside the ground coriander
3. Fry until golden and bubbly then immediately pour onto your Molokhia

To serve, add some rice to a plate and pour molokhia on top, add a few teaspoons of the tomato sauce. Add a piece of chicken to the plate. When ready to eat, mix the rice and molokhia together.


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