Mloukhieh – Jew’s Mallow & Cardamom-Infused Chicken over Rice
As I begin writing this, the aromas of mloukhieh, cardamom, coriander, and garlic infuse the air, sending my stomach in mad rages. Mloukhieh, the Egyptian national dish, is extremely popular in Lebanon and is one of my favorite dishes. Mloukhieh leaves are a type of edible green similar to spinach and in the English language are called Jew’s mallow. This leafy green vegetable has a mucilaginous texture, similar to okra, when cooked. The plant is said to be rich in antioxidants.
Mloukhieh leaves can be found at any Middle Eastern grocer and most likely in frozen form. Although, fresh leaves were used in the following recipe, using frozen is fine as well.
Whilst in Dubai, I met up with Bishnu, an incredible private chef who was nice enough to share his secrets on making the perfect mloukhieh:
Mloukhieh – Jew’s Mallow & Cardamom-Infused
Chicken over Rice
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 60 minutes
Serves: 6 very hungry people
Cast of characters
For the Mloukhieh
- 2kg Jew’s Mallow, fresh or frozen, chopped. If using frozen, thaw first
1/2kg coriander, finely chopped
4 large shallots, finely diced
9 cloves of garlic, pounded (add a bit of salt before pounding)
1 teaspoon sweet pepper
Salt to taste
olive oil
Cardamom-infused Chicken
- 1kg chicken breast, halved
- 6 whole cardamom seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 garlic clove, smashed
- 1 whole nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- cover with water- about 1 liter
Vinegar Dressing
- 1 red onion, finely diced
- Apple vinegar-enough to cover
Crispy Bread
- 2 loaves of Arabic bread, un-separated
Rice
- Use basmati rice and cook according to instructions on package
The Nitty Gritty:
We are going to use the broth from the chicken and add it to the mloukhieh. It’s important that the broth is made in advance and ready for when we start to make the mloukhieh. So, in a deep pot, add chicken and all the spices, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce flame and let cook for 40 minutes or till the chicken is cooked.
While the chicken is cooking, you can prep the ingredients for the mloukhieh. Also, prep the onion vinaigrette. Also, cook rice according to the package instructions.
In a deep, thick bottomed pot, add some olive oil, about 2-3 tablespoons worth. Once the olive oil is hot add the diced onions
Cook the shallots for 2-3 minutes or till soft and translucent
Add the pounded garlic
Cook for a minute or so, then add the coriander and stir well
Strain in the chicken broth
next add the sweet pepper and stir. Add salt to taste
Add the chopped mloukhieh (Jew’s Mallow) leaves
Stir well and cover. Cook for 10 minutes on medium-low heat and do not let it come to a boil. It’s important not to let it boil, since it can coagulate, making it inedible. Mloukhiyeh has natural thickening agents, so don’t worry if it looks too runny in the beginning.
While the mloukhieh is cooking, we can make the Arabic bread crumbs
Dish out into separate serving bowls
On a bed of rice, layer the mloukhieh, then the chicken, add some bread crumbs and drizzle with the onion vinaigrette
I can almost smell the fragrance of this dish just by reading the ingredients – shallots, garlic, cardamom and cinnamon – that’s enough to send a clear message to my stomach too!
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love this one. is their a tab where we can download the recipe?
I love mlokhieh taste
.
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