As used in Egyptian cuisine, molokhiya (Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [moloˈxejjæ]) is prepared by removing the central spine from the leaves, and then chopping the leaves finely with garlic and coriander. The dish generally includes some sort of meat; in Egypt this is usually poultry such as chicken, or rabbit, but lamb is preferred when available, particularly in Cairo. Cooks in Alexandria often opt to use shrimp in the soup, while Port Said is famous for using fish.

Molokhiya was consumed in ancient Egyptian cuisine, where the name "molokhiya" is thought to have originated from.

Many Egyptians consider molokhiya to be the national dish of Egypt, along with ful medames and kushari

The Egyptian version differs in texture and preparation from the Syrian/Lebanese version. The molokhiya leaves are picked off the stem, with tall stemmed branches, and the leaves placed on a large sheet (cloth material) to be left to completely dry for later use.

The leaves are chopped fine, often with a mezzaluna. The leaves are then boiled in broth with large chunks of meat, such as boneless chicken, rabbit, beef or lamb (with bone). Coriander and garlic are fried separately in ghee to make the "takleya", and then added to the soup at the end while the takleya is still sizzling, to create a characteristic sound which people traditionally respond to with the shahka (Arabic: grasp for breath in fear or surprise).

The soup is served on white rice or with a side of Egyptian flatbread (ʿeish baladi). The dish is often accompanied with an assortment of pickled vegetables, known as torshi or mekhalel in Egypt.