Mulukhiyah

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Mulukhiyah sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Egyptian traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 62 minutes in a single instant pot, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 7 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. Saute the onions in the 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2. Step 2. Add the beef cubes or the chicken cutlets, sear for 3-4 min on each side
3. Step 3. Add 1 liter of water or just enough to cover the meat
4. Step 4. Cook over medium heat until the meat is done (I usually do this in the pressure cooker and press them for 5 min)
5. Step 5. Add the frozen mulukhyia and stir until it thaws completely and then comes to a boil
6. Step 6. In another pan add the 1/4 to 1/2 cup of olive oil and the cloves of garlic and cook over medium low heat until you can smell the garlic (don’t brown it, it will become bitter)
7. Step 7. Add the oil and garlic to the mulukhyia and lower the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes
8. Step 8. Add salt to taste
9. Step 9. Serve with a generous amount of lemon juice.
10. Step 10. You can serve it with some short grain rice or some pita bread

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest instant pot you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with egyptian roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 4-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Watch it cooked

If you're a visual learner, there's a free walkthrough of this dish on YouTube.

Original recipe inspiration: source.