This slow-cooking Tunisian stew is traditional to greet guests in Tunisia. We had hoped to have it ready to share with Fatma on her arrival, but the pandemic prevented her from joining us for her planned exchange year. Instead, we decided to make it to greet our first dinner guests after we’d all been vaccinated. It seemed fitting.
The dish relies on a very specific Egyptian herb, jute mallow, known in Arabic as mloukhia, which gives the dish its name. It can be acquired by mail elsewhere readily enough, but cannot be substituted.
Blend together thoroughly:
90 ml mloukhia
90 ml vegetable oil
Bring to a simmer over medium low heat:
1.5 l water
Cut into 2 cm cubes:
500 g boneless beef, lamb, goat, or chicken
Add to meat and mix well:
15 ml ground coriander
15 ml salt
Add to water mixture:
3 bay leaves
meat mixture
Simmer for up to three hours, until liquid is thickened and turns brown, and meat is tender. Serve with tabouna.