Makloubeh

 

Makloubeh a traditional dish of Palestine and means ‘upside-down’ in Arabic, and this dish is appropriately named because you will have to use your muscle to flip the large pot of food over onto the serving dish.  Makes for an exciting finale to your cooking experience !!

 

Ingredients:

 

Meat

4 - 6 pieces of chicken thighs

Produce

1 big potato

1 big eggplant

Pasta and Grains

2 cups of basmati rice

Handful of vermicelli (optional)

Nuts and Seeds

Handful of roasted almonds and pine nuts (optional)

Oils and Vinegars

2 cups of vegetable oil for frying

Baking and Spices

¼ tsp black pepper, ground

1 tbsp salt

¼ tsp whole spice, ground

¼ tsp cloves, ground

¼ tsp cardamom, ground

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 Whole cinnamon

4 Whole gloves

3 Whole cardamom

 

 

How to make it:

• Soak the rice in hot water for 10 minutes, then remove the water and set aside.

• Rub the chicken this in salt, pepper, whole spice, ground cinnamon, ground gloves, and ground cardamom, then sauté in a pot with extra virgin olive oil for few minutes, then cover with water and let simmer for 30 minutes.

• Meanwhile, slice and fry both the potatoes and eggplants, and set aside.

• Back to the chicken pot, add the fried eggplants (make sure they're a bit dark), add the whole cinnamon, whole gloves, and whole cardamom. Then cover with water, let boil for 15 minutes.

• During that time, add extra virgin olive oil and add the vermicelli under heat until brown, and set aside.

• Back to the rice, add the browned vermicelli, salt and pepper and mix well.

• Back to the pot of boiling chicken and eggplant pot (try removing the whole spices if possible), add the fried potatoes, then the rice mixture. The water should cover the rice and half an inch more (where it's fully covered, but can still see the rice).

• Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan for about 15-20 minutes.

• Once ready to serve, place a big round platter on top on the pot, and flip them. Add roasted almonds and pine nuts and serve.