Mloukhieh (Chicken and Jute Leaf Stew)
A comforting green stew of jute mallow leaves cooked in chicken broth with lots of garlic and cilantro. Served over rice with shredded chicken and a bowl of onions soaked in vinegar or lemon.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the chicken broth
Put the chicken, water, onion half, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and spoon off the foam, then turn the heat down to low and simmer gently for 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through and the meat pulls easily off the bone.
- 1.2kg chicken
- 2 litres water
- 1 onion half
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 3
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: chicken reaches 74°C/165°F and meat pulls off the bone
Get the leaves ready
While the broth cooks, rub the dried leaves between your hands to break them a little. Soak them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze out the extra water. If using frozen leaves, just let them thaw.
- 100g dried mloukhieh leaves
- 1 litre warm water
✅ Done when: leaves are soft and no longer brittle
Shred the chicken
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Fry garlic and cilantro
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Cook the leaves
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Finish
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Serve
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Make the chicken broth
Put the chicken, water, onion half, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and spoon off the foam, then turn the heat down to low and simmer gently for 1 hour, until the chicken is cooked through and the meat pulls easily off the bone.
- 1.2kg chicken
- 2 litres water
- 1 onion half
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 3
- 1 tsp salt
✅ Done when: chicken reaches 74°C/165°F and meat pulls off the bone
Get the leaves ready
While the broth cooks, rub the dried leaves between your hands to break them a little. Soak them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes, then drain and squeeze out the extra water. If using frozen leaves, just let them thaw.
- 100g dried mloukhieh leaves
- 1 litre warm water
✅ Done when: leaves are soft and no longer brittle
Shred the chicken
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Fry garlic and cilantro
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Cook the leaves
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Finish
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Serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Jute mallow has been eaten in the eastern Mediterranean since the time of the pharaohs. The name mloukhieh is often linked to the Arabic word for 'royal', and stories say it was once a food for kings.
In Egypt the leaves are chopped into a smooth, silky soup. In Lebanon, cooks prefer whole leaves, cooked in chicken broth with garlic and cilantro, which gives a thicker stew to eat over rice.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is a true home dish that many Lebanese people remember from their grandmother's kitchen.
💡 Fun Fact
Lebanese families buy fresh jute leaves in summer and dry them on rooftops so they can cook mloukhieh all winter.
Lebanon, Egypt and the Levant
33.89°N, 35.50°E
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