Lebanese Mloukhieh
An authentic Lebanese dish made with dried or freshly picked jews mallow leaves cooked with chicken strips, then simmered in seasoned chicken broth, is absolutely delicious over steamed rice, lemon, and crushed red peppers if you like it spicy.
Servings: 5
Ingredients
- 1 Box mloukhieh jew’smallow leaves
- ½ Whole chicken, deboned and shredded or 2 chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
- 2.8 liters Water 12 cups
- 1 Onion quartered
- ½ cup Olive oil
- 15 Garlic cloves minced
- 1 bunch Cilantro chopped
- 2-3 tablespoons Crushed kamooni optional, but highly recommended
- 4 Bouillon cubes optional if using chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon 7 spices
- 2 Lemons juice of
- Salt to taste
Garnish
- ½ Red or yellow onion finely diced
- 3 Lemons juice of
- Crushed red pepper sliced jalapeño
Instructions
- Boil the whole chicken or chicken breasts in a large pot with the quartered onion and water. Fill the pot more than halfway with water (about 2.8 liters / 12 cups). Cover and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes.
- Drain the broth into a bowl using a strainer. Set the chicken aside to cool. Once cooled, remove the chicken from the bones and shred. Set aside.Optional hack: Place cooked chicken in a high-speed blender and pulse to shred quickly.
- Pick through the mloukhieh leaves. Remove dirt, long stems, and yellow leaves. Discard very small crushed pieces.
- Wash leaves well in a colander using warm water. Place in a large bowl, cover with warm water, and soak for 30 minutes. Drain. Repeat washing about 5 times until the water is clean.
- Heat olive oil in the same pot. Add garlic and half of the cilantro. Sauté on high heat until fragrant.
- Grab handfuls of washed mloukhieh leaves, squeeze out the water, add to the pot, and sauté for 5 minutes. Repeat until all leaves are added.
- Add shredded chicken. Add chicken broth or enough water to cover the mloukhieh.
- Add 7 spices, kamooni (if using), lemon juice, bouillon cubes, salt, and remaining cilantro. Mix well.
- Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Serve over steamed Lebanese vermicelli rice. Top with cayenne or crushed red pepper, jalapeños, chopped cilantro, lemon juice, and chopped onion if desired.
Video
Notes
Wash the leaves thoroughly: Properly cleaning mloukhieh is essential. Rinse and soak several times until the water runs clear to remove dirt and grit. This ensures a smooth, clean-tasting stew.
Skim the foam: While simmering the chicken, you’ll notice white foam rising to the surface. Skim and discard it using a spoon to keep the broth clear and ensure a cleaner, better-tasting mloukhieh.
Sauté garlic carefully: Cook the garlic and cilantro just until fragrant. Over-browning the garlic can make the stew taste bitter.
Squeeze excess water: After washing and draining the mloukhia leaves, gently squeeze handfuls with your hands to remove excess water before adding them to the pot. This helps preserve the stew’s rich flavor and prevents it from becoming watery.
Control the texture: If you prefer a thicker mloukhieh stew, simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes. For a thinner consistency, add a little more broth or hot water.
Nutrition
Serving: 5servings | Calories: 250kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 802mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 133IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg