Mloukhia, sometimes called meloukhia or Molokheya is a very popular dish in the Maghreb countries. This recipe is most often composed of beef and a sauce that is both sticky and viscous. At first glance this dish does not make you dream, at least in appearance because it is delicious. The secret to this recipe is time, as with many things. Indeed, to be successful, the sauce will have to simmer for many hours. It is possible to use fresh koreta leaves but it is often the dried and powdered version that is preferred. The ground leaves can be stored for many years, as with most spices. This plant from the Malvaceae family is native to India. It is cultivated in many countries for textile and food use. The mloukhia sold on Epices.com is grown in Egypt, a major producer of this spice. In cooking it is consumed in many countries and regions of the world: West Africa, Maghreb countries (Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria), the Caribbean and the Middle East. Let’s discover together the famous recipe for Tunisian mloukhia, easy but not quick!
Ingredients of the mloukia recipe for 6 people:
700g to 1kg of beef in pieces
100 grams of mloukhia powder
4 cloves of garlic
1 onion
1 large tomato
1 teaspoon of powdered coriander
1 teaspoon of caraway powder
3 bay leaves with sauce
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon of harissa
200ml Tunisian olive oil
Steps for preparing easy Tunisian meloukia:
In a saucepan, pour 3 liters of water and bring to the boil.
In a pot large enough to accommodate all the ingredients, add the 200ml of olive oil, the bay leaves and the koreta powder. Mix gently until you obtain a homogeneous mixture. This may take 5-7 minutes.
Gradually add your boiling water to your pot, stirring with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps. Don’t be in a hurry, go slowly so you don’t burn yourself.
Leave to simmer over low heat for at least 4 hours.
Chop the onion, crush the garlic and peel the tomato and cut it into small cubes. Cut the meat into pieces if you haven’t already done so.
Add these ingredients to the pot, add the harissa and the different spices: paprika, coriander, caraway, salt and pepper. As for salt and pepper, don’t add too much, it is possible to season at the end of cooking.
Cover the pot and cook over low heat for another two hours. When the oil rises to the surface, it’s ready!
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Serve hot.
This traditional dish will be served with white rice.
Tips: You can replace the harissa with a teaspoon of hot pepper, for my part I use cayenne pepper. For the pepper, you can grind it directly on the plate, especially if you use quality pepper like Kampot pepper.
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