Egyptian recipe of "Molokhia" or Melokhia

Ingredients

• 6 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 kg of fresh molokhia (or melokhia) leaves cleaned
• one tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
• one hot chilly pepper (optional)
• one bay leaf (optional)
• one small onion, finely chopped (optional)
• black pepper
• two tablespoons of butter
• several cloves of garlic, minced
• one teaspoon ground coriander
• one teaspoon salt
• one tablespoon fresh coriander leaves (also called cilantro) or fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
• juice of one lemon or a teaspoon vinegar (optional)
• ground cayenne pepper or red pepper (optional)

Steps

• Chop the molokhia leaves as finely as possible. In Egypt, the perfect tool to finely chop molokhia leaves is a makhrata -- a curved knife with two handles similar to the Italian mezzaluna
• Over high heat, bring the chicken stock to a near boil in a large pot. Add the molokhia, stirring well. Add the tomato paste, chile pepper, bay leaf, and onion (if desired), and black pepper, continuing to stir. Reduce heat and simmer. The molokhia will simmer for about twenty minutes.
• After the chicken stock and melokhia have simmered for about ten minutes: heat the butter in a skillet. Using either the back of a spoon in a bowl or a sharp knife on a cutting board, grind the garlic, ground coriander, and the salt together into a paste. Fry the mixture in the oil for two to four minutes, stirring constantly, until the garlic is slightly browned
• After the melokhia has been simmering for about twenty minutes and has broken down to make a thick soup, add the garlic mixture and the butter it was fried in to the simmering molokhia. Stir well
• Add any of the remaining optional ingredients that you like. Continue simmering and stirring occasionally for a few more minutes.
• Serve immediately, hot. Molokhia soup is often served over boiled Rice and sometimes with boiled chicken.