Egyptian · lunch, dinner
Egyptian Molokhia with Chicken (Jute Leaf Soup)
الملوخية المصري بالدجاج
Video by Cooking Secerts ( Chef Gaber ) on YouTube, in Arabic · Open on YouTube
- Low carb (8.6 g net carbs) but not keto: 49% of the energy is from fat, and keto meals get about 60% or more
- Gluten-free ingredients
- Nut-free
Contains: Milk. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.
About 38 g protein and 9 g net carbs a bowl: the chicken and jute leaves carry the meal, with only a spoonful of sugar in the whole pot.
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Ingredients 13
Method
The cook speaks Arabic; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil with the bay leaves, cardamom, onion and tomato. Add the chicken pieces, cover and simmer 20–30 minutes until the meat comes away from the bone. 0:30
- Lift out the chicken, onion and tomato and keep 1 litre of the clear broth. Pull the chicken off the bones in large pieces. 2:00
- Heat the broth until very hot but not boiling and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the frozen molokhia and the sugar and keep stirring about 2 minutes; take it off the heat as soon as it starts to bubble so it doesn't separate. Don't cover it. 3:15
- For the garlic-coriander fry (ta'leya), melt the ghee in a frying pan, fry the garlic until it just colours, then add the coriander and a pinch of salt. 4:45
- Add the chicken to the pan and toss it over a higher heat until lightly browned and coated in the garlic mix. 5:37
- Pour a ladle of molokhia into the pan, stir, then tip everything back into the pot and stir through. Serve hot, with the chicken in each bowl. 6:05
Tip. Eaten with rice or baladi bread. Serves 4 is our estimate. The description says ½ kg chicken and 2 spoons ghee; on camera he uses a 1 kg chicken, 1 spoon ghee and a head of garlic, as here. Reheat gently without boiling.
The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.
One serve gives you 1 of 4
Where the energy comes from one serve
- Net carbs 9%
- Protein 40%
- Fat 51%
Very low carb: under 10% of the energy is from carbs.
Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more
Vitamin K High94%
113 µg a serve, mostly from frozen minced molokhia (96%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.
Vitamin B6 High68%
1.1 mg a serve, mostly from frozen minced molokhia (50%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.
Selenium High58%
32 µg a serve, mostly from chicken (93%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.
Vitamin C High39%
35 mg a serve, mostly from frozen minced molokhia (93%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.
Vitamin A High38%
346 µg a serve, mostly from frozen minced molokhia (75%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.
Zinc High30%
3.3 mg a serve, mostly from chicken (72%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.
Iron High29%
5.2 mg a serve, mostly from frozen minced molokhia (60%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.
Folate High28%
111 µg a serve, mostly from frozen minced molokhia (93%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.
Magnesium High23%
98 mg a serve, mostly from frozen minced molokhia (63%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.
Calcium High20%
255 mg a serve, mostly from frozen minced molokhia (83%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.
Potassium Source19%
880 mg a serve, mostly from frozen minced molokhia (62%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.
Vitamin B12 Source16%
0.4 µg a serve, mostly from chicken (100%). Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.
Show the other 3
Omega-39%
0.1 g a serve, mostly from chicken (88%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.
Vitamin E8%
1.2 mg a serve, mostly from frozen minced molokhia (57%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.
Vitamin D1%
0.1 µg a serve, mostly from chicken (100%). Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.
Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works
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Recipe and video by Cooking Secerts ( Chef Gaber ); the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.