Maqluba

Maqluba (Upside-Down Chicken and Rice)

A dramatic Jordanian one-pot dish where layers of fried eggplant, cauliflower, chicken, and spiced rice are cooked together and then inverted onto a platter, revealing a beautiful mosaic of vegetables on top.

Prep

30 min

Cook

60 min

Total

90 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •800 g (1¾ lb) bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks, skin on
• •2 tsp ground allspice
• •1 tsp ground turmeric
• •1 tsp ground cinnamon
• •1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• •black pepper, ½
• •2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying, plus extra as needed
• •2 medium eggplants, about 500 g / 1 lb total, sliced into 1 cm rounds
• •1 small head cauliflower, about 500 g / 1 lb, cut into florets
• •1 large onion, diced
• •4 cloves garlic, minced
• •2 tbsp tomato paste
• •400 g (2 cups) basmati or long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
• •750 ml (3 cups) chicken broth or water, hot
• •1 tbsp ghee or butter, optional, for richness
• •30 g (¼ cup) pine nuts or slivered almonds, toasted, for garnish

Steps

1. 1 Season the chicken with 1 tsp allspice, ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat and brown the chicken on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
2. 2 Add the remaining 1 tbsp oil to the pot. Fry the eggplant slices in batches until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with cauliflower florets, adding more oil if needed, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes total. Set vegetables aside.
3. 3 In the same pot, sauté the onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste, remaining 1 tsp allspice, ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp cinnamon, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 1 minute.
4. 4 Return the chicken to the pot. Pour in the hot broth (or water), bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl; reserve the broth. You should have about 600 ml (2½ cups); add water if needed.
5. 5 Wipe the pot clean. Lightly grease the bottom and sides with ghee or oil. Arrange a layer of fried eggplant slices on the bottom of the pot, overlapping slightly. Top with a layer of cauliflower florets. Place the cooked chicken pieces on top of the vegetables.
6. 6 Spread the rinsed rice evenly over the chicken. Pour the reserved broth over the rice; it should just cover the rice by about 1 cm (½ inch). Add a little water if needed. Do not stir.
7. 7 Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 25–30 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Check that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F). Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
8. 8 Place a large serving platter upside down over the pot. Carefully and quickly invert the pot onto the platter, holding the platter firmly. Let sit for 1 minute, then lift the pot. The maqluba should be a neat dome with the vegetables on top.
9. 9 Scatter toasted pine nuts or almonds over the top. Serve warm, with plain yogurt or a simple tomato-cucumber salad on the side.