Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.
Mallow Stew
Mallow Stew is a modern British recipe (based on the Egyptian original, melokhia stew) for a stew made from minced (ground) beef and common mallow leaves that act as both a flavouring and thickening agent. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of Mallow Stew.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
80 minutes
Total Time:
100 minutes
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : Wild FoodSpice RecipesBeef RecipesBean RecipesBritish Recipes
Melokhia is considered amongst Egypt's national dish made from the leaves of the native Egyptian mallow,
melokhia. Interestingly, the leaves of the European
Common Mallow are also edible and can be used to make an European version of this soup, the recipe for which is presented here. Today, Egyptian Melokhia is made as a relatively simple soup of mallow leaves. However, during the Middle Ages it was a much heartier dish, more akin to West African Soups (stews) made with ground beet and chickpeas and this dish is re-created here with European common mallow leaves.
Ingredients:
800g fresh
Common Mallow (or melokhia leaves if you have access)
300g minced (ground beef)
1 onion, finely chopped
250g chickpeas
1.5l chicken (or veal) stock
Salt and Black pepper, to taste
3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves crushed
1 tbsp ground
coriander seeds
1/2 tsp
Cayenne pepper
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Thoroughly wash and pick over the chickpeas then place in a bowl, cover with water and set aside to soak over night. The following day, drain the chickpeas, transfer to a saucepan then cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 60 minutes, or until tender (the precise time will depend on the age of the chickpeas). Drain the chickpeas and set aside.
Wash the mallow leaves, remove the stems then chop them very finely. Add the stock to a large pan, season liberally and bring to a boil. Add the chopped leaves and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile add the olive oil to a frying pan and stir in the beef and fry until browned all over (about 10 minutes). Now add the onion and garlic and fry for about 5 minutes, or until golden then add the spices and fry for a further 2 minutes. Turn the meat mixture into the common mallow mixture then add the chickpeas. Cover the pan, bring to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, with occasional stirring, or until nicely thickened. Adjust the seasonings and serve on a bed of rice.
