Molokhia

Molokhia is eaten cooked rather than fresh, and preparation styles vary according to different cultural traditions. In the Levant region it is usually chopped and sautéed in oil with garlic and coriander and served as a side dish. In North Africa it is used in soups or stews. In Egypt, where it is considered one of the national dishes, the leaves are dried, chopped with a mezzaluna (curved knife), boiled in broth, and served atop rice. Molokhia is also popular throughout sub-Saharan Africa where it is prepared in a myriad of different ways. In Kenya it is boiled in salt water and served with pigeon peas. In Sierra Leone and Ghana it is served with cassava, and in Nigeria it is served with cooked yam flour. Molokhia is almost always accompanied with a protein, such as chicken, lamb or beef. In coastal regions it can be accompanied with seafood. The plant is related to okra, and like okra, it creates a mucilaginous quality that makes it ideal to thicken soups and stews. Molokhia is receiving recent attention in Florida where it is becoming more common in Middle Eastern restaurants and home gardens. It is increasingly used as a hot-climate alternative to cold climate spinach, and it works well sauteed in Greek dishes with feta and as a side green in typically southern cuisine.