Tunisia | Stew

Tunisian Mloukhia

Tunisian slow-cooked jute leaf stew with beef, olive oil, garlic, bay, coriander, caraway, and chili.

Country
Tunisia
Region
North Africa
Time
230 min
Serves
6
Level
medium
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Recipe overview

What to know before you cook

Use this overview to check the occasion, serving ideas, regional context, and cooking commitment before you begin.

When to cook it

Best for weekend cooking, family gatherings, and make-ahead meals.. Plan on a medium cook and about 230 minutes total.

What to serve alongside it

Crusty bread, lemon, pickled peppers, or salad mechouia.

Regional lane

Tunisia national table. A structured Tunisia dish in the AfroKitchen archive.

Chef watch-outs
  • Stopping the base before the pepper, onion, or spice edge has mellowed.
  • Thinning the pot before the body of the soup or stew has developed.
  • Overcooking the greens until the color and texture collapse.
How you know it is ready
  • The sauce should coat the spoon and taste rounded, not watery or raw.
  • Greens should be cooked through but still look alive and glossy.
  • The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
Chef board

Build the table around Tunisian Mloukhia

Crusty bread, lemon, pickled peppers, or salad mechouia.

Best route from here

Tunisia national table

Collections to keep cooking
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Servings 6

Scale the dish before you shop, then use the checklist while you cook.

How to cook it

Step-by-step method

Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.

Back to Tunisia
4 steps 20 min prep 210 min cook 230 min total medium
1
Bloom the powder
Whisk mloukhia powder into warm olive oil until smooth and dark.
bloom 08:00
2
Add water slowly
Whisk in boiling water gradually until the stew is smooth.
whisk 08:00
3
Simmer with meat
Add beef, garlic, bay, spices, harissa, and salt, then simmer very gently.
slow simmer 180:00
4
Finish glossy
Cook until the meat is tender and oil rises to the surface. Serve with lemon.
finish 15:00

Some homes use beef, others lamb or tripe. The stew can be very spicy or warmly aromatic depending on the spice paste.

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