AI-generated photo.
Egyptian · Egypt
Molokhia
Also called ملوخية
Molokhia, a dish from Egypt (ملوخية).
Pai editors’ mark 4 / 5
Plan, list, and collections
Molokhia is cooked in Egypt as its own dish. Fry the garlic and cilantro in oil, then whisk that taqliya into the simmering greens. Amounts are scaled for four from foods this library can count, so the nutrition panel comes from those ingredients.
Health
How this plate sits
Counted from the ingredient table. The score, richness, and badges describe one serving as written. The ring and the nutrient table follow the serving count above. This is general information, not medical advice.
84
Health score
Light & nourishing
Moderate
Richness
Light
Light to very rich, from fat, saturated fat, sugar, and the cream or butter in the plate.
- Protein 51%
- Carbs 8%
- Fat 41%
Watch · Diabetes-friendly
It misses a gentler mark: sugar, fiber, the starch mix, or the richness of the plate.
Watch · Heart-friendly
Saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, or fiber keeps this off the heart-friendly list.
Watch · Weight loss
Calories, protein, or richness make this a fuller plate than a light day wants.
Suits · High protein
About 32.7 g of protein in the serving.
Watch · Low sodium
About 543 mg of sodium, above the 450 mg mark.
Suits · Gluten-free
No wheat, barley, or rye in the required list. Still read labels on sauces and oats.
Suits · Dairy-free
No milk ingredients in the required list.
Watch · Vegetarian
Meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish is in the required list.
Suits · Pregnancy
No alcohol, liver, or caffeine in the required list. Cook meat, eggs, and seafood through.
Suits · Gentle when sick
Mild, not fried, and not a very rich plate. Comfort, not a treatment.
Suits · Kid-friendly
Heat stays mild, and the required list has no alcohol or liver.
Calories by ingredient
Each number is that ingredient’s table calories, split across the servings.
- Chicken breast144 kcal
- Olive oil62 kcal
- Low-sodium chicken broth32 kcal
- Spinach12 kcal
- Garlic4 kcal
- Cilantro1 kcal
Glycemic load
Estimated glycemic load for this count: 1.8. The bands come from the ingredient table.
Portion
One serving is about 255 kcal. Two portions would be about 510 kcal if you want a fuller plate.
Allergens. None flagged in the required list.
Make it healthier
Use half the salt
Salt adds no calories in this table, so the calorie figure stays put while sodium falls.
About 255 kcal after the change.
Use half the kosher salt and brighten the plate with lemon or lime.
The same dish with less sodium. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
Replace the meat or fish with the same weight of drained chickpeas.
The seasoning and the method stay. The center of the plate changes. This is the kitchen note. A new calorie figure is shown only when the grams can be replayed on the ingredient table.
Low confidence: no new calorie figure. The grams cannot be replayed on the table.
| Nutrient | Amount | % daily value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 255 kcal | 13% |
| Protein | 32.7 g | 65% |
| Carbohydrate | 5.3 g | 2% |
| Fiber | 1.3 g | 5% |
| Total sugars | 0.5 g | 1% |
| Fat | 11.6 g | 15% |
| Saturated fat | 2.1 g | 11% |
| Cholesterol | 88 mg | 29% |
| Sodium | 543 mg | 24% |
| Potassium | 884 mg | 19% |
| Calcium | 72 mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2.4 mg | 13% |
| Magnesium | 77 mg | 18% |
| Zinc | 1.3 mg | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 258 mcg | 29% |
| Vitamin C | 16 mg | 18% |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 2.8 mg | 19% |
| Vitamin K | 257 mcg | 214% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.2 mg | 13% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.4 mg | 29% |
| Niacin (B3) | 14.7 mg | 92% |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.1 mg | 66% |
| Folate | 110 mcg | 28% |
| Vitamin B12 | 0.5 mcg | 19% |
These figures follow the USDA-linked ingredient table where a safe FoodData Central row exists. Optional ingredients are left out. A few pantry items still use Pai's curated numbers because no close USDA row was found. 50 g is the daily value for added sugar. This figure is total sugar, including fruit and milk.
- A serving stays under about 420 calories, so it can sit inside an ordinary day.
- Protein is high enough to make the meal satisfying.
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.
Equipment
- Heavy pot
- Scale
- Wooden spoon
- Ladle
Ingredients
Each line is stored in grams. The second amount is the other system, so a cup measure and the gram weight stay together.
Spinach6 cups200 g
Garlic4 cloves12 g
Cilantro0.5 cup15 g
Low-sodium chicken broth3.5 cups800 ml
Olive oil2 tbsp30.77 ml
Kosher salt1 tsp4 g- Chicken breast3 breasts480 g
The first amount follows the unit toggle. The second is the other system. Both follow the serving count.
If you need to swap
- Use half the kosher salt and brighten the plate with lemon or lime.. The same dish with less sodium.
- Replace the meat or fish with the same weight of drained chickpeas.. The seasoning and the method stay. The center of the plate changes.
Method
AI-generated photo.
1Set a heavy pot over medium heat. For Molokhia, start here: fry the garlic and cilantro in oil, then whisk that taqliya into the simmering greens.
AI-generated photo.
2Fry the garlic and cilantro in oil, then whisk that taqliya into the simmering greens.
Cook 20 min
AI-generated photo.
3The liquid should be quiet and the center tender. Stop when this is true of Molokhia: Fry the garlic and cilantro in oil, then whisk that taqliya into the simmering greens.
AI-generated photo.
4Ladle it into warm bowls. Molokhia is eaten in Egypt as this plate, with the sauce or garnish that belongs to it.
How you know it is done
Molokhia is done when the thickest piece is tender and the liquid is quiet, not at a hard boil.
If it goes wrong
- Molokhia looks done on top and is still raw in the center. Trust the cue in the method, not the color alone. Give it a few more minutes and check the center.
- Molokhia spread, sank, or turned out dry. Measure by weight next time, heat the oven fully, and stop when the doneness cue appears rather than when the timer ends.
Storage
Cool Molokhia, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Freeze portions for a month if the dish reheats in a pot or oven, not a raw salad.
How this dish helps your daily life
- Molokhia is cooked by simmer in Egypt. The steps follow that technique, including the timing above.
- The meat, poultry, or fish is the protein. The panel is this plate, not a generic serving.
Notes
Pregnancy. Cook meat, poultry, and eggs through. Use pasteurized dairy if the recipe includes it. There is no alcohol in the required list.
Allergens in the required list: none flagged.
Your stars and note
Pai shares general nutrition information for everyday cooking. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment plan. Health labels are estimates from reference ingredient data and do not account for your lab results, medications, or how a food is absorbed. If you are pregnant, managing diabetes, cholesterol, an allergy, or any illness, use this as a menu of ideas and follow the clinician who knows you. In an emergency, call local emergency services.