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Title: Melokhia (Egyptian Herb Soup)
Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients

    125 g  dried melokhia leaves -=or=-
      1 kg fresh melokhia leaves*
  1 1/2 l  strong stock
      1    salt
      1    black pepper
     25 g  olive oil
      3 ea garlic cloves, crushed
      1 tb ground coriander
    1/2 ts cayenne pepper

Instructions

Crush the dried Melokhia leaves. Put them in a bowl and moisten with a
little hot water. Set aside until they swell and double in bulk. If
the leaves are not brittle enough to crumble, dry them out in a warm
oven for a few minutes. If fresh leaves are being used, wash them
thoroughly and cut off the stalks. Spread the leaves out on a clean
cloth to dry. Chop them finely.

Put the stock in a large saucepan (you can use any stock, except
pork). Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Add the
chopped or crumbled leaves and simmer for 10 minutes if the leaves
are fresh and for 30 minutes if dry.

Meanwhile, prepare the "Taklia" or garlic sauce. Melt the butter in a
small frying-pan. Add the garlic and fry, stirring, until it is
golden brown. Add the coriander and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 2
minutes. Add the garlic mixture to the soup, cover the pan, and
simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the seasoning and
serve.

* "Melokhia is a soup made from an Egyptian herb similar to spinach.
It is one of the national dishes of Egypt. Melokhia leaves are
available dried from Greek shops, and occasionally the fresh leaves
are available in some markets." If you can't get Melokhia, try this
recipe with spinach. Works for me!

Jane Grigson (ed.): "The World Atlas of Food. A Gourmet's Guide to the
Great Regional Dishes of the World." Typed by Heiko Ebeling.

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