Molokhia

So this recipe by no means belongs in the all-american meal category….in case you didn’t notice when you read the title and had trouble pronouncing it. This is an Arabic dish that my mom made us quite regularly growing up and it’s delicious. It’s something so simple and so comforting that brings me right back to being at home.

Molokhia (pronounced mulukhyia) is a green leafy plant and is prepared by finely chopping the leaves and cooking it in a chicken broth with some garlic. No, I don’t have my own little molokhia garden growing in the back – however, most arabic stores sell this in the frozen food section. Here’s what the package looks like:

As far as the nutrition facts go, 1/2 cup is 20 calories, it has 0.3 grams of fat, 3.1 grams of carbohydrates, and 1.3 grams of proteins. It’s traditionally served over rice and/or some pita breads that’s made crunchy in the oven! The consistency might seem a little strange to some – I guess some people might describe it as “slimy?” But I promise it’s not a gross slime 🙂

Ingredients:

1 package of Molokhia
4 cups of water
2 bouillon cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon margarine
1 tablespoon of garlic

Instcturions:

1. Put 4 cups of water in pot. Add 2 bouillon cubes. Bring to boil. (This part is actually the lazy way out…you’re supposed to boil chicken and use the stock from the chicken instead of the water and cubes)

2. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add frozen package of Molokhia and salt. NEVER bring to a boil, leaves and water will separate.

3. Once hot, place 1 teaspoon of margarine in separate, small pan. Add garlic and cook until golden yellow color. Now add garlic to soup.