Molokhia: Egypt's Love of Green Leaves

The green plant, known internationally as jews mallow or jute, is a spring and summer crop. The vibrant green leaves dance in the summer breeze before this fast growing leafy plant is plucked from the ground.

The plants are harvested several times per season. Molokhia is sold fresh, and women pluck the leaves off the stem of young plants. Today, supermarkets across the country cater to the Egyptians love for molokhia by selling frozen prepared leaves. It has become a preference for women who work to buy prepared leaves, as the plucking process is very labour intensive. 

While molokhia is made with green leaves, it can be enjoyed using dried leaves. The molokhia leaves are plucked, cleaned and left to dry for a couple of days, then can be stored for the entire year. 

In the past when freezers were not an option, dried molokhia was the only way to enjoy molokhia soup throughout the year. But dried molokhia can be used to make other unique recipes. 

The green leaves are often picked fresh and then are chopped with a special double handled blade-the “makhrata”. 

Even with the advent of modern kitchen tools for chopping, some households still insist on using the semi-circular blade with two handles to chop their molokhia leaves finely. 

Dried molokhia has a deeper color and taste and is even delicious cold, as shalawlaw. This involves mixing the molokhia powder with lemon, garlic, cumin and water to create a thick dip eaten with bread. 

The leaves are mixed with a broth. The broth of meat, chicken, duck, and most uniquely rabbit broth are all favorites in Egypt. 

To accommodate the Coptic fast which is vegan, molokhia soup broth is made from sprouted fava beans instead of meat based products. 

Whatever the broth, the soup is commonly dressed with a topping made from fried garlic and crushed coriander seeds called tasha. Some Egyptian households say if the cook doesn’t “gasp” while pouring the “tasha” toward the end of the dish preparation molokhia won’t taste as good. 

Coastal communities from Port Said enjoy their molokhia with shrimp. While shrimp is expensive and uncommon in most of Egypt, it is a delicious addition to the array of molokhia recipes repertoire. 

Port Saidis cook the shrimp, and the garlic - coriander tasha all together, creating a thick stew. 

In truth the molokhia soup is a love or hate relationship - the slimy texture of the soup does put off first timers. With the diversity of recipes available to make molokhia, there is surely one for everyone.