About this Dish
The upside-down dish — rice cooked with meat and vegetables in a pot, then flipped dramatically onto a serving plate to reveal the layered contents. The name means flipped in Arabic. The moment of the flip, with the family gathered around, is a theatrical event. Rice, aubergine, cauliflower and lamb or chicken are the classic components.
IngredientsServes 6
🍗Chicken thighs, 6 bone-in pieces
🍚Basmati rice, 400g rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes
🍆Aubergine, 2 large sliced into 1cm rounds
🥦Cauliflower, 1 small head cut into florets
🧅Onion, 1 large roughly chopped
🫙Chicken stock, 700ml warm
🫒Olive oil, 4 tablespoons
🌿Baharat spice blend, 2 teaspoons (or mix of allspice, cumin, cinnamon and black pepper)
🧂Salt, 1.5 teaspoons
🌰Toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley, to serve
Method
1
Salt the aubergine slices and leave for 20 minutes, then pat dry. Fry them in olive oil in batches until golden on both sides, then do the same with the cauliflower florets. Set everything aside on kitchen paper to drain.2
Season the chicken pieces all over with half the baharat and a good pinch of salt. In your largest deep pot, brown the chicken on all sides in a little oil until golden, then remove. Soften the onion in the same pot for 5 minutes, then lay the chicken back in as your base layer.3
Layer the fried aubergine slices over the chicken, then add the cauliflower on top, pressing everything down gently. These layers will become the beautiful top of your dish once flipped, so arrange them with some care.4
Drain the soaked rice and stir through the remaining baharat and salt. Pour the rice evenly over the vegetables, smoothing it into a level layer. Gently pour the warm chicken stock down the side of the pot so as not to disturb the layers — the liquid should just cover the rice.5
Bring to the boil over medium heat, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer, cover tightly with a lid and cook for 25–30 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and the liquid absorbed. Resist lifting the lid during cooking.6
Remove from the heat and leave to rest, still covered, for 10 minutes — this step is crucial for the rice to firm up so the maqluba holds its shape. Place your largest serving plate or platter face-down over the pot, then take a deep breath and flip the whole thing in one confident, swift motion.7
Lift the pot away slowly to reveal the layers. Scatter toasted pine nuts and fresh parsley over the top and bring it straight to the table — the theatrical reveal is the whole point.User Reviews
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