Maqlooba (مقلوبة) Recipe

Описание: A wonderful "sandcastle of food", this Middle-Eastern dish of rice, chicken and vegetables is brilliant for dinner parties. See Titli cook upside-down!!!

Ingredients

1 chicken, jointed
2½ cups of rice
1 onion, chopped
½ cauliflower, cut into florets
1 green capsicum, cut into 1½ cm pieces
1 aubergine
2 medium potatoes, sliced
60 g (2 oz) butter
Vegetable oil for shallow-frying

Spice Mix 1

1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp Thai 7-spice
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon powder
Seeds of 4 green cardamoms

Spice Mix 2

1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp salt


Instructions

Slice the aubergine and place the slices into a colander. Sprinkle on salt and leave for 30 minutes. Pat the aubergine slices dry.
Heat 1-2 cm (~¾") of oil in a pan. Fry the potato slices until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Fry the green capsicum until it starts to go brown around the edges. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Fry the cauliflower until it starts to brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper
Fry the aubergine slices one layer at a time in the pan. When brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Melt the butter in a pan and fry the onions until they start to go transparent. Add in the chicken.
Once the meat is sealed, add Spice Mix 1. Add enough boiling water to cover the meat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and put to one side.
Soak the rice for 10 minutes in cold water, then drain. Add Spice Mix 2 and mix well.
Sprinkle a handful of rice on the base of a large pan. Now build the ingredients up in layers. Start with the chicken, the aubergine, the capsicum, the cauliflower, and the potatoes. Finally, pour the remaining rice on the top.
Pour the liquid that the chicken was cooked in into the pan. Add enough water to just cover the rice. Cover and cook on a low heat for 40 minutes.
Remove the pan from the stove. Place a large plate on the top of the pan and turn the whole lot upside-down. Tap the base of the pan and allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes.
Oooooh now comes the exciting bit! Carefully lift the pan to reveal your maqlooba… Ta-daaaaa!
Listen to the ooooh’s and aaaah’s as you place this in front of your hungry hoards.

Titli's Tips
Salting the aubergines draws out the bitterness.

Serve with yoghurt and a simple onion, cucumber and tomato salad. You may need to modify a pan slightly (as I did) to make sure that you can get good contact between plate and pan when you turn it over. Good luck!