Molokhia (pronounced “mo-lo-HEY-ah”), Egyptian Spinach, Corchorus olitorius (Jute) is a summer cooking green that grows quickly to a multi-stemmed plant with a height of 6′ (2 m) or more. There are many attempts to render the Arabic name in the Roman alphabet: Melo Khiya, Molokheiya, Mulukhiyah, Melokhia. It’s also known as Egyptian spinach or jute mallow.
Jute fiber is extracted from the stems of the mature plants, suggesting a) don’t try to eat over-mature plants, and b) paper-making and various fiber arts could be in your future.
Corchorus olitorius probably originated in Africa, and is now found throughout the tropics, and in some countries it is considered a weed (suggesting it is easy to grow!). In the US it grows well in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Texas and everywhere with hot summers, anywhere the growing season is longer than 70 days. It thrives in high humidity. It is even grown in Michigan, where there is a large Middle Eastern diaspora. There the seed is always started indoors.
This versatile, continuous-harvest vegetable can survive both dry and wet conditions in warm or hot weather. With the climate chaos changing our summers, it is time to get ready, with alternative crops that can withstand hotter weather. GrowerJim in winter-hardiness zone 9b has very good details.
Sowing Molokhia
Depending on your climate and preferences, you can direct sow fairly heavily and thin, or start seeds in flats. It has a big tap root so it will do better direct sown if you can.
Seed should be sown in spring once the soil is warm, with air temperatures of 68-104°F (20-40°C) with 62-81.5°F (16.8-27.5°C) optimal. Plants grow quickly and are ready for a first cutting in about 60-70 days. In colder areas, Molokhia can be slow to get growing at first.
Crop Rotations for Molokhia
This is definitely not a spinach! Egyptian spinach is related to okra, mallow, roselle hibiscus (red sorrel, Jamaican sorrel), also cotton, cacao and durian, so if you grow a lot of those, rotate away from them to grow molokhia. For most of us, this won’t be an issue at all. I recommend not letting it self-sow in the same spot many times.
Pam Dawling
Transplanting Molokhia
Transplant after all danger of frost is past, once the weather is settled warm, around pepper and okra planting time. Transplant 12″-18″ (45-30 cm) apart in all directions. Egyptian Spinach likes full sun, warm to hot weather and steady moisture. You can add mulch to help keep the soil moist, but if using organic mulch, be sure the soil is fully warm, as organic mulches act as insulators, keeping cool soil cool. In marginal climates, black plastic mulch will warm the soil and increase the growth rate.
Caring for the Molokhia Crop
Molokhia needs 2″-3″ of water per week (5-8 cm). A relative humidity of 70-80% is ideal, so in very dry climates, consider misting, or overhead irrigation. General care also includes fertilizing, controlling weeds and insects. Continue to give compost or nutrients throughout the season, to encourage tender new growth. Each harvest of newer growth forces more branching. Plants have a strongly upright growth habit and need no support.
It takes 70 days to maturity, then holds well in the field, providing several cuttings. In late summer or early fall, as the days shorten, the plant stops leafy growth and bright yellow flowers emerge from the leaf axils. The pods can provide an additional harvest.
Pam Dawling
Succession Planting of Molokhia
If you prefer to harvest the entire young plant at once, succession-sow until mid-summer for continuous supplies. For most growers, a single sowing that provides food for the whole season is something to be grateful for.
Molokhia is not a good choice for a fall garden even if temperatures permit, as the plants will steer to blooming and stop providing new leaves to harvest.
Pests and Diseases of Molokhia
I don’t know much about either of these yet. I’ve heard that bugs cause more damage as you get towards fall, but that in spring and summer there are not many problems. They can get aphids, but not usually in quantities that cause a problem. Mealy bugs are another pest of molokhia.
Molokhia Harvest
This is a plant to nibble on as you walk around the garden. People like the mild nutty or grassy flavor. Individual leaves are 2″-3″ (5-8 cm) in length.
For bigger harvests, an alternative to picking individual leaves off the stems is to cut the upper 6″-8″ (7-10 cm) of growth with pruners and then strip the leaves off in a cooler location. If you cut carefully, you can encourage the plant to bush out. The tender stem tips are also edible if finely chopped along with the leaves. Only the small leaves are cooked and eaten. Multiple harvests can be made from each flush of new growth until summer winds down.
Once fall arrives, you can accept fate: as soon as you get a cold snap it will die. This is an annual that does not survive winter. You can make a last giant harvest and dry the leaves.
The flowers are followed by seed pods which are edible and tasty when young, with more flavor than the leaves.
Molokhia Post-Harvest
This tropical plant does not grow in cold weather. To maximize your harvest, cut down your molokhia before too much flowering has slowed down leaf production (unless you want to harvest pods or seeds) and dry the leaves. In the Tunisian tradition, the dried leaves are ground to a powder, to be used to make a thick sauce with tomato paste.
In the fall you can also harvest and pickle the pods before they are mature, (while still flexible) just as you can with okra pods. Some lovers of pickled okra pods say pickled molokhia pods are even better.
Nutritional Benefits of Molokhia
The nutritious leaves are high in vitamins A, C, E, K as well as potassium, calcium, iron and magnesium, beta carotene, and many other minerals, trace elements and 6 different anti-oxidants. Molokhia is said to calm inflamed digestive systems and mucous membranes and lower stress, among other health benefits. As always with health benefit claims, do your own research at reputable sources.
There have been very few reports of allergic reactions to molokhia, but when adding a new food to your diet, proceed with caution.
Cooking Molokhia
The leaves can be eaten raw in salads, cooked as a side vegetable, or made into soup. They are chopped finely for cooking. When boiled, the result is very thick and mucilaginous – it is often described as similar to cooked okra. For most people, it’s not a vegetable to be eaten alone in big cooked heaps.
Molokhia is generally eaten cooked, not raw, and it may be chopped and sautéed in oil, garlic and cilantro/coriander as in Lebanon and Syria, or made into a stew or soup as Egyptians do. Traditionally, it is cooked with chicken or chicken stock for flavor and is served with white rice, lemon or lime. In Tunisia, the dish is prepared with the powdered leaves and cooked with lamb or beef to be served with bread.
In Egypt, molokhia is prepared by chopping the leaves finely. It is mixed with garlic and coriander. The dish generally includes lamb, chicken or rabbit. Shrimp and fish are sometimes included. The chopped leaves are part-cooked before any (separately cooked) meat or fish is added to the pot. The stew is served on a bed of rice, or with flatbread. Lemon wedges and/or chilies may be served alongside.
In Kenya, molokhia leaves are cooked with other greens to reduce the sliminess, and served with tomatoes, fried onions, and various spices, on a bed of some kind of cereal meal. In Haiti, a dish prepared from molokhia leaves is called lalo.
Wikipedia has several national cooking styles spelled out.
The dried leaves can be used to thicken soups or for tea.
Molokhia Seed Saving
Soon after blooming the seedpods develop. They will grow to about the same length as the leaves. If you plan to save seed, cordon off a section of the bed and leave the pods to mature. The pods, which are filled with many angular, greenish seeds, will dry to a tan or black color. They are then easy to break open with your fingers.
The mature seeds can be saved for replanting. If you grow plenty of seed you can even use molokhia as a cover crop, benefiting from its high biomass in the summer.
Photo Pam Dawling
Sources for Molokhia Seed and More Information
Southern Exposure Seed Exchange
See Cooking Greens in August (2019)
See Heat Loving Veggies for the Texas Garden – Patty Leander