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Molokhia is one of those classic Lebanese recipes that I grew up eating and learned how to make from my mom. It’s a jews mallow stew made with shredded pieces of tender chicken cooked in a lemony broth and served over Lebanese rice.
What is molokhia?
Also known as jews mallows or jute leaves, molokhia is basically a leafy green vegetable similar to spinach or kale. It can be hard to find fresh, so I generally purchase it dried from Middle Eastern stores. After washing, you can cook it with a lemony chicken broth to make a delicious hearty stew.
How to make Lebanese Molokhia
- Start by cleaning the molokhia leaves. They often have large thick stems or yellow or dark leaves that should be discarded. Do your best to pick out what you can.
- Then rinse it well a few times while running your hands through it. Make sure to squeeze out the liquid until the water runs clear. This step also takes about 15-20 minutes minutes. But then you’re ready to cook it all together.
- Make the chicken broth by cooking together chicken breast and thighs with onions, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and water. You can skip this step if you already have cooked chicken and broth. Strain the chicken broth and set it aside.
- In the same pot, cook the cilantro and garlic with olive until it’s fragrant. You can also cook the onions at this time.
- Add the washed molokhia along with the spices and sautee until well combine.
- Add the chicken broth on top of the sauteed molokhia and cook covered. This is a good time to roast some onions in the oven which enhances the flavor of the final dish!
- When the chicken broth thickens and the molokhia softens, add roasted onions, shredded chicken and lemon juice or lemon slices.
- Allow everything to simmer together so the flavors set, and then serve.
Tips for making molokhia
- Pick any large stems off the molokhia. This is a tedious step but will result in softer leaves with more flavor.
- Take the time to wash the molokhia properly until the water runs clear. This not only removes excess dirt from the dried leaves, but also improves the common slimy texture that molokhia has.
- Fry the onions with the cilantro and garlic instead of roasting. This is another option which is very popular and allows everything to happen in one pot. However, roasting the onions is something I learned from my mom, and it adds so much extra flavor!
- Adjust the liquid to your taste. I start with 8 cups of water to boil with the chicken, which usually yields a little less. You can start with more water to yield more chicken broth or just add more water during the cooking process.
Frequently asked questions
You can use fresh, dried or frozen jute leaves for this recipe. I have only found them at Middle Eastern stores. I prefer to use the dried leaves which come in 7-8 ounce cardboard boxes.
You can skip the cleaning step and add the frozen molokhia to the sauteed cilantro and garlic. There’s no need to thaw the molokhia first; just allow it to cook in the pot and then add the chicken broth.
Washing and rinsing the molokhia helps to alleviate the slime, which is similar to the texture of cooked okra. Placing whole lemon slices in the pot also cuts through some of that slime, so I highly recommend it.
You can actually have this on its own like a soup, but it’s most commonly enjoyed over Lebanese Rice or any other type of rice. For a low carb option, try it with quinoa or cauliflower rice.
More Lebanese Stews
- Baked Kibbeh
- Lebanese Bean Stew
- Beef and Spinach Stew
- Peas and Carrots Stew
- Kafta and Potato Stew
- Okra Stew
If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Lebanese Molokhia recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!
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Molokhia (Mloukhieh)
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast or thighs
- 1 medium onion halved
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 cups water
For the molokhia
- 3-4 ounces dried molokhia
- 3 medium onions cut into chunks
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon 7 Spice
- 1 tablespoon dried coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lemon juiced
- ½ lemon sliced
Instructions
- Bring 8 cups of water to boil, add the chicken along with the bay leaves, salt and onion. Cook for 20 minutes until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove chicken and set aside. Sift the chicken broth and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F, place the onions on a baking sheet and drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil on top of the onions. Roast in the oven until browned, about 30 minutes.
- Pick through molokhia to remove any stems or debris. Soak for 15 minutes and rinse a few times. Squeeze out any liquid and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the pot used to make the chicken broth. Add the cilantro and garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute.
- Add the molokhia to the mixture along with the 7 Spice, coriander, salt and pepper, and saute until the molokhia softens and becomes fragrant, about 5 minutes. Pour the chicken broth on top of the molokhia and cook on medium heat covered for 30 minutes.
- Lower the heat to simmer, add the roasted onions, shredded chicken, lemon juice and lemon slices, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Serve warm over Lebanese rice, if desired.
Notes
- Instead of 7 Spice, you can substitute any mix of paprika, cumin, coriander, ground cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and cinnamon
- To make it vegan, just leave the chicken out. You can add other vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower, eggplant or zucchini.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
How much is one serving in grams?
Hello! Thank you so much! Unfortunately this is not something we can provide on our site because it’s not what we use internally. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.
Not sure if dried or frozen leaves are better. Someone who makes it at a restaurant said the dried leaves should be soaked for 3 rounds of 40 minutes each changing the water each time. What do you think is best etc. Thanks
You can use fresh, dried or frozen jute leaves for this recipe. I have only found them at Middle Eastern stores. I prefer to use the dried leaves which come in 7-8 ounce cardboard boxes. I soak the leaves for about 15 minutes, then rinse them a few times.
I have never liked Molohkria… my husband is Arab and I cooked it for him many times… I followed your amazing recipe and I have to say I decided to taste it…need to tell you it was amazing… finally I can tell my husbands side of the family that I LOVE IT
Yay, this makes me so happy!
Did you forget the Onion Vinegar sauce that goes with the Molokhiya? Restaurants in Lebanon and all over the world, traditionally serve Molokhiya with this heavenly sauce.
Hi! I didn’t forget it, it’s just not common in Bint Jebail where my family is from in Lebanon. I do know many families and restaurants that serve it with the onion vinegar sauce but many others simply don’t. I didn’t include it in the recipe because we never grew up eating it that way so it doesn’t feel authentic to my family. I’ve tasted it before though and it’s a delicious condiment to serve with it! Sahtain 🙂
Is the 1 tbs of dried coriander ground coriander?
I’m excited to try this recipe!
Hi Kristi, great question. Yes, it is ground coriander. I hope you enjoy!
Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe my mother is from Syria and makes it all the time I was born and raise in the UK but still have it it’s also healthy for you keep posting recipes but I have one wish that people stop posting negative comments about your food it’s authentic I use frozen when I am in Syria or another middle eastern country I get the leaves
You’re so welcome, and I appreciate the support!
Thank you Yumna! Can I freeze the cooked stew even if I used the frozen molokhia?
Hi Hend, great question. I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to freeze it. Hope you enjoy!
I have made a different version of Molokhia for my husband but have always used dried jute leaves. I despise washing them because of how tedious and long the process is. I wish try your recipe as it looks so very good but want to use frozen leaves. What weight of frozen would you use in this case?
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe! You can use fresh, dried or frozen jute leaves for this recipe. I would use around a few more ounces of frozen compared to dried molokhia. For frozen molokhia, you can skip the cleaning step and add the frozen molokhia to the sauteed cilantro and garlic. There’s no need to thaw the molokhia first; just allow it to cook in the pot and then add the chicken broth.
I was disappointed with this recipe it’s not authentic since I married to an Arab he agrees it’s not authentic there’s usually no onions I was very disappointed since her recipes are usually very good
Thank you for your feedback. There are many ways to make this recipe and this one is one that I grew up eating and learned how to make from my mom.
Loved your recipe Yumna! JazakAllahu khayran. The onions taste soo good, I don’t know why anyone would cook without them!
I used fresh leaves and they taste so much better than dried (I live in the ME, they’re in season right now). The quantity I used was a big mixing bowl full (sorry, Im not used to measuring!)
Typically, frozen molokhiya ends up being too slimy and they’re shredded into tiny pieces, preferably for the Egyptian style molokhiya .
Thank you Yumna! ❤
You’re so welcome, Asiya! Thank you for the kind words!
Unbelievable if you don’t like this recipe because of the onions… don’t add them… I can just say you’re missing one amazing recipe… the best I have ever tasted
So glad you enjoyed it!
Tasty
Thank you!
Approximately how many cups of dry leaves is 3-4 ounces?
I haven’t measured this in a cup yet. Do you have a weighing scale to measure out the dried molokhia?
Hoping to give this recipe a try! I’ve always been so intimidated to make this dish. Is there any way it can be kept as a stovetop recipe? Is there an alternative to baking the onion? Thanks in advance!
I can’t wait for you to give this a try! You can also cook the onions on the stovetop by sautéing them.
I don’t have a food scale. The box of dried leaves says 200 grams on it though!
We were craving my mother in law’s so I followed your recipe and it was so good, thank you 💪
So glad you enjoyed! You’re so welcome!!
Hello there, your recipe sounds soo delicious. I wonder how much of molokhia I would have to take if it was fresh. I live in Greece and we only have fresh molokhia in the summer. I, definitely, would like to try your recipe. I would be very happy about your answer.
Thank you so much! Can you share what you mean by fresh? This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for around 4 days.
I think she’s asking, how much fresh Molokhia would you use in this recipe in place of the 3-4oz dried Molokhia. I would also like to know that !
I’ve never made it with fresh leaves because they are harder to find and can be more tedious to work with. I think you can work with about 1 to 1.5 pounds of fresh leaves for this recipe. Let me know if that ends up working for you so I can share with my other readers. Thank you!
Hi Yumna,
I like the way you explain
your recipes giving all the details to make them very easy to do yet very delicious too…
I tried to bake the onions for the mloukhieh to give it a better taste but they turned out dry … how will I bake them to make them more tender and easier to mash.
Thank you
Thank you so much! It helps if you drizzle olive oil on top of the onions while they’re roasting!
Hello Yuman, by fresh I mean fresh, as the word says. Dried is not fresh and frozen is not fresh, it is frozen. Fresh are vegetables, when they are freshly picked or collected from the field. Here in Greece, people sell freshly collected molokhia on the farmer’s market.
But my question was not how to keep them fresh but how much of freshly picked
molokhia do I have to use to cook your recipe, since your recipe tells only about dried ones. How much of freshly picked molokhia would I need to cook your recipe. 1 kilo or 800 gramms maybe?
Thank you for clarifying! I’ve never made it with fresh leaves actually because they are harder to find and can be more tedious to work with. I think you can work with about 1 to 1.5 pounds of fresh leaves for this recipe. Let me know if that ends up working for you so I can share with my other readers. Thank you!
Hi,
I was just wondering what spice you use in this dish. 😊 I can’t wait to try and make this its one of my favourite my mother in law cooks.
All the spices I used are listed on the recipe card at the bottom of the page. Hope you enjoy!!
A tip from a fellow chef, to completely remove slime from the mloukiyeh, once the water is squeezed out of it after washing, fry the mloukiyeh with lemon juice and a teaspoon of oil in handful batches until each batch runs dry. Place each batch in a bowl until all the mloukiyeh is finished and continue the recipe.
Love that tip so much! Thank you!!
This recipe has a horrible reputation for being very difficult. Thank you so much for making it super simple to follow and absolutely delicious. I’ve been wanting to make it since you posted it and I finally stopped being a chicken and made it!! It’s amazing!! Thank you so much!
Most welcome! Thank you!!
I do not call what you presented to us as moulkia, more like a stew!
Moulokia is an elegant dish as my Lebanese mother and my friend Ninette makes it!
The perfect recipe and super delicious #yummy
So glad you liked it. Thank you!!
Married to a jordanian, molokhiya was never something I liked and maybe the only Middle-Eastern dish I promised myself never try to cook. However, seeing your post on Instagram made me curious and I thought I would give it a try today… I absolutely loved it! I’ve made a fraction of the quantities (we are only 2) for about 400g of frozen molokhiya but kept the same measure of lemon (as I like the taste it gives to the dish). Delicious recipe, very easy to follow and to do for a first time. You’ve made me change my mind about this dish I’ve tried so many times but never liked… thank you!
Hi Hassina! Wow, I’m so glad I changed your mind to try the recipe and that it was worth your time and effort! I’m so happy you enjoyed it and thanks so much for the sweet feedback 🙂