Maqloobeh-Upside Down Rice and Meat Dish

Here is another of my favorite recipes. You can make it with chicken, meat or fish, with a number of veggies: potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, etc. Here is my favorite version.

Ingredients:

2 large eggplants – peeled and sliced lengthwise
2 cups Rice (I prefer long grain)
1 pound Lamb on the bone, cooked and boiled with spices
Salt, black pepper, Allspice, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Turmeric –any other preferred spices
2 Diced Onions
2-3 cloves of garlic sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large tomato
2 bay leaves
6 cups hot water
3 cups cooking oil

Directions

In large pot, melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter on medium-low heat; add diced onion and sauté until golden.

Add the lamb and bay leaves. Stir meat to coat. Cover and let simmer for ten minutes or until water is absorbed, stirring frequently. Add spices at the time

Add 6 cups hot water to lamb and bring to boil on medium-high heat, skimming the froth from the surface. Boil until meat is cooked. Remove lamb from broth and set aside. Save broth. Discard bay leaves.

In deep skillet, heat oil and Fry sliced eggplant until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

In a bowl, mix 3 cups rice with spices You may add Turmeric, cardamom, allspice, salt, black pepper and cinnamon to the rice and mix well before adding it to the pot or you may add the spices on top of the rice before adding the broth- whichever you prefer.

Assembling your Maqloobeh:

Lay down the meat in the bottom of the pot; add the garlic slices around and atop the lamb pieces.

Lay the eggplants on top of the meat

Add the rice on top of the eggplants. Add the meat broth to the pot just to cover the rice, about an inch above the rice. (You can always add more later on while cooking if needed.)

Cooking

Bring the pot to a boil on high heat, then lower the heat. Cook for about 20-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked and fluffy.

Enjoy!

Flip the pot in the serving platter.

Garnish with fried pine nuts or almond if you like.

Serve with plain yogurt or diced salad. You can try this Palestinian diced salad recipe from a week ago.