Central Africa · Main

Mouloukhiya (Braised Jute Leaf Stew)

Name: Mouloukhiya (Braised Jute Leaf Stew)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chad
Ingredients: 500 g bone-in beef shank or lamb shoulder (cut into 4 cm cubes); 400 g fresh jute leaves (ewedu/mouloukhiya, stems removed and minced; substitute: 100 g dried crushed jute leaves); 1200 ml water (for stock); 150 g yellow onion (peeled and quartered); 20 g fresh garlic (minced; split into two equal portions); 30 ml refined peanut oil (or clarified butter); 10 g ground dried coriander seeds; 1.5 g baking soda (or traditional natron, for color stabilization); 2 piece dried bay leaves; 5 g fine sea salt; 3 g freshly ground black pepper

Silky, herbaceous jute leaf stew simmered with tender bone-in beef and finished with a fragrant garlic-coriander ta'leya.

Cook mode

jute-leaveschadian-dinnerbraised-beeftraditional-soup

The story

Mouloukhiya is an everyday culinary pillar across Northern and Central Chad, beloved for its emerald-green silky texture and nourishing botanical depth. Eaten communally during evening family dinners, it is scooped up with fluffy sourdough kissar or poured into wells carved into dense esh domes. While related to Levantine versions, the Chadian variation uniquely incorporates local dried or fresh jute leaves simmered into bone broths with a final sizzling garlic-coriander infusion (ta'leya) and a pinch of natron to lock in the brilliant green hue.

Checking your membership…

Cook hands-free

Cook this next

Chad·Dessert

Al-Halwa (Caramelized Sesame Seed Brittle)

Crisp, amber-hued sesame brittle scented with green cardamom, ginger, and wildflower honey, offering an addictive crunch and nutty warmth.

30 minMedium

Chad·Breakfast

Bangaou (Pillowy Deep-Fried Dough Fritters)

Crisp-crusted, airy yeast fritters subtly scented with ground nutmeg and cardamom, served warm alongside morning tea.

1 h 35 minEasy

Chad·Drink

Bili-Bili (Traditional Red Sorghum Brew)

An ancient, lightly tart, effervescent red sorghum beverage brewed over open fire for ancestral rites and seasonal feasts.

6 hHard

Chad·Dessert

Chakery (Steamed Millet Couscous in Spiced Fermented Milk)

Fluffy steamed millet pearls suspended in a chilled, aromatic fermented milk sauce enriched with nutmeg and vanilla.

55 minMedium