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1
Simmer the Chicken for Broth
50 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Put the chicken pieces, onion, tomato, bay leaves, cardamom and cumin in a large pot with 1.5 litres of water. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim off any foam, then cover and cook for 40–45 minutes until the chicken is cooked through to 74°C (165°F) and the broth tastes rich. Lift the chicken out and set it aside; strain the broth and return it to the pot. Fish out the tomato and discard it.
Skim the foam in the first 10 minutes — that is what keeps the broth clear and clean-tasting.
Done when: The chicken is cooked through to 74°C (165°F) and the broth is clear and rich.
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2
Cook the Rice
20 Mins
Low simmer, ~95°C (203°F), then rest off the heat
While the chicken simmers, cook the rinsed rice in 400 ml of water with a pinch of salt: bring to a boil, cover, turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes, then rest off the heat for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and keep warm.
Do not lift the lid while the rice cooks — the steam is doing the work.
Done when: The rice is tender, separate and fluffy, with no water left in the pot.
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3
Cook the Molokhia in the Broth
10 Mins
Gentle simmer, ~95°C (203°F)
Bring the strained broth back to a gentle simmer and stir in the thawed molokhia. Cook for 8–10 minutes at the gentlest simmer, stirring now and then, until the leaves are soft and the soup turns silky and bright green. Season with the salt. Do not cover the pot and do not let it boil hard.
The leaves need only a few minutes — overcooking is what turns molokhia dull and stringy.
Done when: The soup is bright green, silky and slightly thick, with the leaves fully soft.
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4
Fry the Ta'leya and Finish
5 Mins
Medium heat, ~175°C (350°F)
Melt the ghee in a small frying pan over medium heat. Add the crushed garlic and ground coriander and fry for 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the garlic is pale gold and smells nutty. Pour the sizzling ta'leya straight into the soup — it will hiss and bubble — and stir once. Meanwhile, brown the cooked chicken pieces in a little ghee until golden on the outside.
Have the soup pot ready before the garlic goes in — the ta'leya must go from pan to pot while it is still sizzling, and pale gold garlic turns brown in seconds.
Done when: The ta'leya sizzles as it hits the soup, the garlic is pale gold (never brown), and the chicken is golden outside.
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5
Serve Over Rice
5 Mins
Serve hot, ~70°C (158°F)
Spoon rice into wide bowls, ladle the hot molokhia over it, and set the browned chicken pieces on top or alongside. Put the lemon wedges on the table so everyone can squeeze their own.
Serve at once — molokhia thickens as it cools, and it is at its best steaming hot over fresh rice.
Done when: The bowls are steaming, the soup is bright green over the rice, and the lemon is on the table.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Ladle the soup over a mound of rice in wide bowls, set the browned chicken pieces on top or alongside, and put lemon wedges on the table. Eat it hot, with a spoonful of rice in every spoonful of soup.
Egypt
1h 15m
France
Vietnam