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Moloukhia (Jute Leaf Stew)

Moloukhia (Jute Leaf Stew) is a traditional Nigerien (from Niger) recipe for a classic stew of meat and tomatoes in a powdered jute leaf (meloukhia) base with North African spices. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Niger version of: Moloukhia.

prep time

20 minutes

cook time

270 minutes

Total Time:

290 minutes

Serves:

4–6

Rating:

Tags : Spice RecipesVegetable RecipesNiger Recipes

This is a classic Nigerien (from Niger) dish of a soup (a eat stew intended to be served with fufu or thick porridge) that is flavoured and thickened with moloukhia leaves. These are the leaves of the jute or jew's mallow plant (a relative of European common mallow). This is most traditionally used in the Egyptian soup, melookhia. Here, the dried leaves are used in the way that baobab leaves are used elsewhere in West Africa. However, the other flavours used in this dish are very North African in nature. This dish clearly shows Niger's position at the boundary between North and West Africa.

Ingredients:

100g powdered meloukhia leaves
200ml groundnut oil or soya oil
2l water
750g meat (veal, beef, mutton or goat), cubed
1 tsp (heaped) tabil spice
5 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large tomato, blanched, peeled, de-seeded and diced
1 tsp harissa
4 small bayleaves
2 sprigs of dried mint
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Bring 2l of water to a boil in a pan. Sift the meloukhia leaves into the pan and stir until mixed then beat in the oil. Continue cooking, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a thick bream. At this point, cover the pan and cook gently over low heat.

Stir the mixture during the first 30 minutes of cooking and continue cooking for between 2 and 3 hours.

Wash the meat with cold water and a little vinegar. Rinse well and pat dry with kitchen paper. In a bowl, mix the tomatoes with the tabil spices, garlic and harissa. Stir well to combine then mix in the meat.

Turn into a pan, add the bayleaves and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook gently for 1 hour. At this point stir the meat into the meloukhia mixture. Continue cooking the mixture, covered, for 2 hours then season to taste with salt and black pepper.

Once the meat is very tender, continue cooking, uncovered, until the oil separates and floats to the top of the stew. Remove the rice and serve hot, accompanied by boiled rice.