Egyptian Molokhia with Chicken

Name: Egyptian Molokhia with Chicken
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Egyptian
Ingredients: 3 lb (1360 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, patted dry; 6 cups (1420 ml) water, cold; 1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, peeled and halved; 4 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves; 2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; 2 cups (475 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, warm; 28 oz (800 g) frozen minced molokhia leaves, softened at room temperature for 30 minutes (or use 4 oz/115 g dried leaves); ½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander; 10 cloves (40 g) garlic, peeled and finely minced or crushed to a paste; 3 tbsp (42 g) ghee or unsalted butter; 2 tsp (4 g) ground coriander; 2 whole (200 g) lemon, cut into wedges; 6 cups (1100 g) cooked white rice, hot

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A silky, deep-green Egyptian stew of molokhia leaves simmered in rich chicken broth and finished with a sizzling garlic-coriander taqliya. Serve over rice with a squeeze of lemon.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Total: 1 hr 40 min
Makes: About 8 cups (6 servings) of stew, with the chicken

Jump to recipe ♡ Save

Ingredients

6 servings

For the chicken and broth
3 lb (1360 g) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, patted dry
6 cups (1420 ml) water, cold
1 medium (150 g) yellow onion, peeled and halved
4 pods (1 g) green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
2 leaves (1 g) bay leaves
2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 cups (475 ml) low-sodium chicken broth, warm
For the molokhia
28 oz (800 g) frozen minced molokhia leaves, softened at room temperature for 30 minutes (or use 4 oz/115 g dried leaves)
½ tsp (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp (2 g) ground coriander
For the taqliya
10 cloves (40 g) garlic, peeled and finely minced or crushed to a paste
3 tbsp (42 g) ghee or unsalted butter
2 tsp (4 g) ground coriander
To serve
2 whole (200 g) lemon, cut into wedges
6 cups (1100 g) cooked white rice, hot

Equipment (5)

6-quart (5.5 L) heavy pot or Dutch oven
Small 8-inch (20 cm) skillet or saucepan for the taqliya
Slotted spoon
Instant-read thermometer
Fine-mesh skimmer or spoon

Steps

Before you start

If using frozen minced molokhia, leave the packages on the counter for 30 minutes to soften, or thaw them in the fridge overnight. Do not microwave them.
Peel and crush all the garlic before you start. The taqliya (garlic-coriander fry) goes fast at the end.
Cook the rice while the molokhia simmers, or have it ready, so everything is hot at once.
Never boil the molokhia hard once the leaves are in. A gentle simmer keeps the color bright and the texture smooth.

1
Simmer the chicken
- Put the chicken, water, onion, cardamom, bay leaves and 2 tsp salt in the 6-quart pot.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then skim off the gray foam that rises to the surface.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Foam is skimmed and the broth looks mostly clear
Tip: Skim well now for a clean-tasting, clear broth.
2
Cook chicken gently
- Reduce the heat to low, partly cover, and simmer 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Thickest part of a thigh reads 175°F (80°C) and the meat pulls easily from the bone
3
Strain the broth
- Lift the chicken onto a plate with tongs.
- Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard the onion, cardamom and bay.
- Measure out 6 cups (1.4 L) of broth, topping up with the warm chicken broth if needed, and return it to the pot.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Pot holds about 6 cups of clear broth
Tip: Keep the leftover broth for cooking the rice.
4
Crisp the chickenOven 500°F / 260°C
- Optional but traditional: heat the oven broiler to high (about 500°F/260°C) and broil the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet, skin side up, for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Set aside, loosely covered.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Skin is deep golden and crisp at the edges
Tip: Watch closely; broiler skin goes from golden to burnt in under a minute.
5
Add the molokhia
- Bring the 6 cups of broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Add the softened molokhia, the black pepper, ground coriander and 1 tsp more salt.
- Stir to break up any clumps.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Leaves are fully loosened into the broth with no frozen lumps
Tip: Do not let the stew reach a rolling boil, or it turns dull and can become stringy.
6
Simmer the stew
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the stew is glossy, slightly thickened and smells grassy-sweet rather than raw.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Stew coats the back of a spoon and is bright dark green
Tip: Stir gently and not too much; over-stirring makes it slimy.
7
Fry the taqliya
- In the small skillet, melt the ghee over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until pale golden and fragrant.
- Stir in the 2 tsp coriander and cook for 15 seconds.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Garlic is light gold and smells nutty; no dark brown bits
Tip: Burnt garlic turns bitter. Pull the pan off the heat the moment it colors.
8
Sizzle into stew
- Pour the hot taqliya straight into the pot; it should sizzle loudly.
- Stir once, then simmer 2 minutes more.
- Taste and adjust the salt.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Garlic is evenly distributed and the stew smells strongly of garlic and coriander
9
Return chicken and serve
- Nestle the chicken into the stew to warm through for 2 minutes, then ladle into bowls over hot rice with lemon wedges on the side.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Chicken is steaming hot (165°F/74°C or above)
Tip: A squeeze of lemon brightens the rich stew.

Good to know

Tips

Use frozen minced molokhia if you can; it gives the smoothest, most authentic texture.
Keep the stew at a gentle simmer; hard boiling dulls the color and flavor.
Crush the garlic to a paste for the strongest flavor, but fry it only until pale gold.
For a thicker stew, use less broth; for a thinner stew, add a splash more.

Make ahead

Cook the chicken and broth up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Finish the molokhia and taqliya just before serving for the best color and texture.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Fridge: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat with a splash of broth or water; do not boil.

Substitutions

frozen minced molokhia leaves → dried molokhia leaves (about 4 oz/115 g). Soak in hot broth for 10 minutes first, then simmer as directed.
ghee or unsalted butter → olive oil or vegetable oil. Gives a lighter flavor but still works well.
bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks → rabbit or boneless chicken thighs. Rabbit is traditional; boneless thighs need only 20 minutes of simmering.
lemon → white vinegar with sliced onion. A classic Egyptian side: onion steeped in vinegar.