Moulukijeh | with Chicken

Method as per Margaret Dahdah

Ingredients:

1 recipe of Plain Rice with fried Egg Noodle

  • 1 (or 2) Whole Chicken – cut and divided into pieces
  • 1 lb. fresh leaves or previously frozen Minced Moulukijeh leaves (pkts) – chopped fine
  • 3 cloves of Garlic or more optional – chopped
  • 1 juicy Tomato – squeezed and seedless
  • 2 tbsp. ground Coriander
  • 2 Lemons – squeezed
  • 1 small Onion – whole – slit top
  • 2 tbsp. Semna or Oil/Shortening
  • 3 tbsp. Salt
  • 2 tbsp. Allspice
  • 1 tbsp. Pepper
  • 1 tbsp. Cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp. Veg. Oil

Method:

  1. If using whole chickens cut and divide pieces.
  2. Clean Chicken pieces – thighs, drums, breast (cut in quarts), wings.
    Spice-up the pieces, place in an oven tray and add Semna.
  3. Cook till tender on 400 degrees temperature.
  4. In a large saucepan boil separately the Back parts and Neck to make the broth adding 1 tbsp. Salt and 1 whole slit onion (on top). Let boil till almost cooked removing froth at all times. When meat is almost done (tender) remove Onion, pick-up the chicken parts from the broth and clean off the meat from the bones and other unwanted particles, place back the meat pieces in the broth.
  5. Take the tomato, cut in half and squeeze all the juice into the meat broth. Squeeze also half a lemon and pour in broth. Let it boil for a minute.
  6. Take the Moulukijeh and drop it in and stir well. Turn heat to medium making sure it does not stick to the bottom, and stir.
  7. Moulukijeh has a gluey texture, the Tomato and Lemon already in the broth should prevent most of this texture. In order to know this it’s by putting the wooden spoon in the broth and when lifted the texture should come down smoothly.
  8. Meantime chop Garlic and fry in Veg. Oil with Coriander
  9. Pour remaining lemon juice, fried Garlic and Coriander in broth. Stir well and cook on low heat for 10 mins, taste for missing lemon or salt, add as needed.

This delicious meal will need a side dish of a mixture of white Vinegar and finely chopped raw Onion. This is poured on each individual plate on top of the Moulukijeh sauce when served. It gives it a Tangy taste.

Serve the tray of Chicken pieces nicely presented on top of the White Rice and add a side dish of Hot Pickles