Mloukhia
Mloukhia has roots that stretch across the entire eastern Mediterranean basin, but the Tunisian version stands apart through its exclusive use of dried, ground leaves, unlike Egyptian versions, which use fresh chopped leaves. This technical choice completely changes the dish's character — the texture becomes thicker, almost paste-like, and the color darkens considerably. The long cooking and constant stirring needed to prevent burning made mloukhia a traditional dish associated with patience and the labor of women in the family, often prepared a day ahead for weddings or major celebrations. It's said that a good mloukhia must be cooked «until the spoon sticks to the bottom of the pot», an empirical sign of correct consistency, passed down orally through generations.
Dried jute leaves, finely ground
Mloukhia leaves are used dried and ground into powder, not fresh, a technique distinct from neighboring Tunisian cuisines.
Nearly black color from long cooking
The sauce turns a very dark, almost brownish-black color after hours of slow simmering and continuous stirring.
Large bone-in beef pieces
Large bone-in beef pieces simmer directly in the sauce, giving a deep flavor that develops over several hours.
Oil added at the end, not the start
A quantity of oil is added only toward the end of cooking, helping bind the sauce without making it greasy too early.
Ingredients 4 servings
- 150g dried mloukhia leaf powder
- 800g bone-in beef, large chunks
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 100ml olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 liters water
- Salt
How to make it
- 1Put the bone-in beef pieces in a large pot with cold water, bringing to a boil over high heat and skimming off the foam from the surface.
- 2Add the onion, crushed garlic and tomato paste, then reduce the heat to low and simmer covered for an hour.
- 3Sprinkle the mloukhia powder over the hot liquid, stirring continuously with a whisk to prevent lumps from forming.
- 4Add the cumin and salt, then continue simmering over very low heat for two hours, stirring every ten minutes.
- 5The sauce will gradually thicken and darken in color as it cooks.
- 6Pour in the olive oil during the last thirty minutes of simmering, stirring well to incorporate.
- 7Serve hot, with the beef pieces on top, alongside bread or plain couscous.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
