I made this dish for my family in honor of the Palestinian dishes I grew up eating when I was little. Makloubeh is a delicious and visually stunning dish from the Levant regions such as Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus etc,. It features layers of fluffy spiced rice, tender vegetables, and flavorful meat, all inverted onto a plate for a dramatic reveal. Here’s my recipe with a twist: Try out this recipe and let us know what twist you added in the comments below.
Ingredients
- eggplant
- cauliflower
- red bell pepper
- tomatoes
- onion
- chicken thighs, lamb or beef
- garlic
- basmati or jasmine rice
- bay leaves
- olive oil
- spices such as Maqloubeh by Ziyad, or substitute with a blend of allspice, cloves, cardamom, black pepper.
- salt and pepper
Twist: Maqloubeh spice by Ziyad (a middle eastern spice made from allspice, cinnamon and cardamom). Makes it super easy to cook this dish with perfection! I also added roasted red bell pepper and onions for an additional nutritious veggie twist!
Substitutions
- If you don't have Maqloubeh spice by Ziyad, you can use a blend of allspice, cloves, cardamom, black pepper.
Storage
You can cover is plastic container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days!
Maqloubeh
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 1 cauliflower
- 1 red pepper
- 1 tomato
- 1 onion
- 3 lbs chicken, lamb or beef
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 cups basmati or jasmine rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp all spice or maqloubeh
- 1/2 salt and pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the meat: Marinate chicken, lamb or beef with olive oil, lemon juice (optional), spices such as allspice or Maqloubeh spice. You can marinate for 30 minutes or up to a few hours for deeper flavor.
- Cook the vegetables (optional): If using vegetables, roast them in the oven with olive oil and seasonings until tender. Approximately 20 minutes.
- Brown the meat: In a pot, heat olive oil and sear the meat on all sides. Sauté sliced onions with the meat until softened.
- Assemble the Maqloubeh and Cook rice: In a large pot or oven-safe dish, layer bottom with tomatoes, vegetables and onions. Top with the cooked meat and more roasted vegetables. Add rice on top and add 4 cups of water. Cook for approximately 40 minutes.
- Flip and serve: This is the key to making maqloubeh an upside-down dish! Place a plate on top of the pot and carefully flip the pot to invert the maqloubeh onto the plate. Decorate with fried onions, toasted almonds or parsley and serve.
Rose Chamaa says
Must try!