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Mulukhiyah, Mulukhiyya or Malukhiyah is
Arabic for leaves of the jute plant (or related Corchorus species. They are of
the genus Corchorus, a herb in the Linden family. The green vegetable is
commonly used in Middle-Eastern, mainly Egyptian cuisine and is also
used in some Far-east oriental dishes (such as in Japan). |
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Left: Syrian Style
Mulukhiyah with Chicken. |
It is a
rather bitter herb with a natural thickening agent. It is the main ingredient of
a popular Egyptian dish by the same name.
Malukhiyah is prepared in various
styles: the original Egyptian style wherein the mallow leaves are very finely
chopped, with ingredients such as garlic and coriander added to give it a
characteristic aromatic taste, or the Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian and
Jordanian style where the leaves are used whole. "Malukhiyah Stew" is served
with rice, but usually enjoyed with chicken. "Chicken & Mallow leaves stew" is a
popular dish in Syria, rabbit is substituted for chicken in the Egyptian version
of the dish.
Malukhiyah has been known as a popular food in Egypt since the time of the
Pharaohs, and later spread to the Levant. The leaf is a common food in many
tropical West African countries. It is believed that the "drip tips" on the
leaves serve to shed excess water from the leaf from the heavy rains in the
tropics. It is called Kren-Kre in Sierra Leone, and is eaten in a palm oil sauce
served with rice or cassava
fufu, or is steamed and mixed into rice just before
eating a non-palm oil sauce.
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Many Egyptians consider Malukhiyah to be the national dish along with
ful
medames and
kushari.
The leaves are rich in betacarotene, iron, calcium, and Vitamin C. The plant has
an antioxidant activity with a significant α-tocopherol equivalent Vitamin E.
In the English language, the leaves are called Jew’s mallow. |
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Left: Corchorus
olitorius (jute plant). |
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