maqluba

Maqluba is a layered dish that is served by flipping upside down to reveal layers of vegetables (commonly eggplant, potato and cauliflower), meat and rice. It's so flavourful because everything cooks together in one pot. It's also highly customizable and made across many middle eastern countries. If you love Arabic food... this is the dish to try!

Maqluba (Makloubeh) with Lamb (Arabic rice dish)

lamb

vegetable oil

cinnamon

green cardamom

bay leaves

allspice

(optional but recommended)

turmeric

tomato paste

salt

black pepper

water

eggplants (approximately 700 grams)

potatoes

onion

large bell pepper (red

basmati rice

almonds (or pine nuts)

parsley

Start by preheating the oven to 450F 

Wash the eggplant and peel it every other stripe as shown in the ingredients photo. Cut into into thick slices, about half an inch thick

Wash and peel the potatoes, and cut them into roughly half inch thick circles

Place the eggplant and the potato on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt and combine them with the oil (the amounts under the ingredients section). Bake for 30 minutes.

Wash the meat and sear it on medium high heat using the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the 3 cups of water and all the whole spices and pressure cook for 10 minutes. If you are not using a pressure cooker, boil on stove top covered on medium heat for 40-60 minutes until tender.

Cut the onion and pepper into wings or slices. Cook with the oil in a pan over medium heat for 7 minutes until softened. Set aside.

Once the meat is cooked, remove it and set aside. Strain the stock from the whole spices.

To the hot stock (in a bowl or a pot), add the turmeric, salt, black pepper and tomato paste. Mix well to combine and add additional water to reach the 5.5 cups required. I do this by using a measuring cup to measure the total amount of stick then top it up with water until I reach 5.5 cups

Wash the rice several times until the water runs clear. Drain it and set aside

Cut the tomato into slices

To layer the maqluba, start by adding 2 tablespoons of oil to the bottom of the pot, then add the tomato slices, followed by eggplant, potato, meat, onions and peppers, then the rice

Pat the rice down firmly, then pour the stock on top. Pat down again using a wooden spoon to ensure the stock is fully covering the rice

Place the pot on medium high heat and allow it to start bubbling, which should take 5 minutes or so

Once it is bubbling, cover it and decrease the heat to low. Ensure the pot is well covered by also adding a towel on top, especially if your pot has any holes. Cook for 50 minutes.

After 50 minutes, turn heat off and allow maqluba to rest for 5-10 minutes. If you open it and realize your top layer of rice is undercooked or under seasoned, read the troubleshooting section

When ready to serve, find a large tray with raised edges and place it on top of the pot. Use both hands and place them on each handle while holding the tray down. In a swift motion, flip the pot over (have someone nearby to help you if you need it). Leave the pot flipped over the tray for a few minutes and allow gravity to slowly drop the maqluba

Lift the pot very slowly to help keep it intact. Serve with yogurt or Jajik and enjoy!

Maqluba is a traditional Middle Eastern recipe that means &quot;upside down.&quot; It&#039;s one of the most popular Palestinian traditions that includes a pot of rice, stewed meat or chicken, and vegetables that gets flipped into a beautiful presentation.

Maqluba

eggplant

olive oil

salt (divided)

black pepper (divided)

tomatoes (sliced)

chicken thighs

7 Spice

basmati rice (rinsed)

parsley (for garnis)

Prepare the Eggplant &amp; Bake. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line one baking sheet with paper towels, place the eggplant slices on the baking sheet and sprinkle with ½ a teaspoon of the salt. Allow the eggplant to sweat for 30 minutes, then pat it dry with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Remove the paper towel from the baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Place the eggplant on the baking sheet, drizzle 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on top and season with ½ a teaspoon of the pepper. Toss to combine, then bake in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through

Bake the Potatoes. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper, place the potato slices on the baking sheet. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil on top and season with the remaining ½ teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Toss to combine, then bake in the oven with the eggplant for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through

Cook the chicken. In a medium bowl, mix together the chicken thighs, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, 7 spice, salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottom 8-quart nonstick pot, over medium heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the chicken thighs to the pot and cook for 7 minutes undisturbed. Flip the chicken and cook on the other side until cooked through, 5-7 more minutes. Remove the chicken and onions from the pot and set aside.

Arrange the pot. When the eggplant and potatoes are done cooking, arrange tomato slices at the bottom of the pot used to cook the chicken. Add the eggplant slices over the tomatoes, followed by the sliced potatoes, the cooked chicken and onion mixture, and finally the drained rice. Place a large round plate on top of the rice to hold the ingredients together.

Make the broth and cook. Place the water, 7 Spice, salt and pepper in a heat-proof bowl or jar and stir together to make the broth. Carefully pour the broth mixture over the plate, making sure it covers the rice. Cover the pot and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Remove the plate and continue cooking for 10 more minutes.

Let it cool down for 15 minutes before flipping over a large serving plate. Garnish top with chopped parsley and serve with yogurt sauce, if desired.

This is the best maqloobeh I have ever made! It came out so good and everyone loved it! Definitely saving this recipe until I memorize it lol. 

The only thing I found a bit confusing was in step 5 it said to cook on low heat but that didn’t allow the rice to cook at all. So I turned it up to medium heat instead, so I’m not sure what I misinterpreted in that step. 

But other than that it came out perfectly! Was such an easy recipe to follow! I’ve tried following other maqloobeh recipes but they didn’t come out right and so I thought I just sucked at making maqloobeh lol. So glad I found you on Instagram and looked up your recipe for this! Thank you :)

So if you triple the recipe does it fit in an 8qt pot?

I cant wait to try this! What temperature should the oven be for the eggplant?

Making this. Thanks so much for the recipe

One of the most delicious and popular Palestinian meals is Maqluba. This version with lamb, baked cauliflower, and eggplant is just sublime and a must try.

Maqluba with Lamb

Bone-in Lamb Shoulder Pieces, medium cut

Onion, quartered

Cardamom Pods

Bay Leaves

tbsp Ground Allspice

tbsp Granulated sugar (optional, but said to help tenderize the meat faster)

Salt

tsp Black Pepper

Eggplants, sliced into 1 inch discs

Cauliflower head,

Potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch slices (optional)

Tomatoes,

tbsp Olive oil

Salt & Pepper to preference

Basmati Rice (You can use Egyptian rice

Leftover Lamb Broth (or enough to cover the top of the rice

1.5 tsp 7 spice

tsp Cumin

tsp Turmeric

Parsley, chopped

Slivered Almonds, toasted in ghee or olive oil

Wash the lamb pieces thoroughly. Add them to a pot and cover with water. Let this simmer on medium heat. You will notice a residue float to the top after a few minutes. Spoon off the residue into a bowl and discard.

Once the water is clear of the residue, add the onion, cardamom, and bay leaves along with the allspice, sugar (optional) salt, and pepper. Cover and let this boil on medium heat for 1.5-2 hours until the meat is tender.

While the meat is cooking, prepare the vegetables and rice for the dish. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Toss the sliced eggplant, cauliflower, and potato (if using), with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Make sure everything is well coated. Feel free to add more oil if necessary.

Add the vegetables to a baking sheet baking sure they do not overlap. I typically bake each vegetable variety in their own pan or one huge pan. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, flipping once.

The vegetables should come out tender and lightly golden. Keep it baking longer if necessary, then set to the side.

Prepare the rice by stirring together the soaked rice with the spices listed above.

At this point, the meat should be cooked through. Drain the water and save the lamb broth to cook the rice in.

Start with a scarce layer of rice at the bottom of your prepped pot. The nonstick pot should be lightly sprayed with nonstick spray too or oiled. Then, add a layer of tomato slices.

Top off the tomato slices with the baked eggplant slices, cauliflower florets, and potatoes (if using).

Then, add the lamb pieces followed by the rice. Cover the top of the rice with a fitted heat proof plate. This will help keep the rice in tact while it simmers.

Pour the lamb broth on top of the rice. The broth should cover the rice entirely with an inch extra on top. Let this come to a light boil then simmer for about 25-30 minutes on medium heat  while covered.

Once the rice is cooked through, take it off the heat and let it sit for 20 minutes in the pot before serving.

When ready to serve, find a large platter with rasied edges and swiftly flip the pot over the top of the platter. Tap at the bottom of the pot a few times and gently raise the pot to reveal the beautiful maqluba.

Top with the garnishes and serve with yogurt and arabic salad.

Assembling the Pot

This maqluba recipe was delicious! I made it with eggplant, cauliflower, and potatoes. Cooking the rice in the lamb broth gives it such a wonderful flavor, as do all of the spices. I made it in a Dutch oven, so it turned out that the pot was too heavy to flip, but it still tasted fantastic. It's a great one-pot meal.

I love to cook foods from different cultures and wanted to try some Palestinian recipes and that's how I found your site. I've since gotten your cookbook and absolutely love the recipes in it!

Your recipe is perfect. I however made a huge mistake and added water to the lamb stock and my maqluba came out watery. The seasonings were perfect, the lamb was soft. Next time I’ll stick to your measurements.

This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it! Have you tried it with beef? The beef in my country is more readily available as opposed to lamb. 

Thanks! Always love your recipes!

I have made this multiple times and its always a HIT with the family! Thank you Haifa, your recipes never disappoint! I have your book as well.

I made this recipe for a family 3azooma and honestly it did not disappoint! My family would not stop talking about how nice the flavours were and even the leftovers were sooo good the next day! 
Thank you Haifa for sharing this amazing recipe with very clear and easy steps to follow! You have made cooking so enjoyable for me ❤️

Going to use this recipe for when the family comes next week. My mother in law always used only cauliflower and chicken rather than lamb (picking kids(. Going to try to do the same but use the rest of your recipe. Hoping this brings back happy memories for my husband and his siblings ❤️

Chicken Maqluba is an authentic Middle Eastern rice dish, popular in the Levant countries. It is known for its layers of aromatic rice, chicken, and fried veggies, that become visible once flipped.

Chicken Maqluba (Flipped Upside Down)

Jasmine Rice

cauliflower

russet potatoes

chicken broth

maqluba spice

Tomato (optional (to prevent the pan from sticking))

7 spice

garlic

maqluba spices

coriander powder

cardamom pods

chickens (skinless,

Add the chicken to a pot with oil and onions, then sauté.

Add the maqluba spices, whole garlic, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, and cardamom and mix. .

Add water to cover. Let it boil and skim off any foam that forms and discard. Let it cook for about 30-40 minutes until done.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it and strain the broth. You can now leave the chicken as it is, bake it to crisp up, or fry it. I like air frying it.

Wash the rice a few times to make sure the starches are removed. Soak in cold water for about 30 minutes.

Once soaked, strain and add the 7 spices, maqluba spices, and salt. Mix well and set aside.

Prep your vegetables ahead of time.

Cut the cauliflower into medium size florets, peel the potatoes, and cut them into ½-inch thick rounds.

For the eggplants, you can peel them or leave the skin. Cut into ½-inch rounds and place on top of a paper towel.

Sprinkle a small amount of salt on top of each round to draw out the moisture, about 10 minutes.

If you&#39;re using carrots, the baby ones work great. Deep fry all the vegetables, air fry, or bake them. Once done, set aside.

For Veggies

For assembly, my hack is to cut parchment paper the same size as the bottom of the pot you&#39;re using and lay it flat.

Add tomato slices, then layer the chicken on top. Add the vegetables and finally the rice.

Now once your maqluba is assembled, make sure to add HOT broth. You don&#39;t want this to be warm or cold.

Let it boil on medium-high heat, then cover and lower the heat until the rice is fully cooked, anywhere from 15-25 minutes. The rice on top should be fluffy and cooked.

For Assembly

Amazingly easy meal to make. Looks difficult and time consuming but the instructions are very clearly written and easy to follow. Tastes AMAZING!

I always fail making maqluba because the top layer is always burnt.. using parchment paper is brilliant!! It helps me to solve the burnt top layer.. now perfect maqluba with perfect top, thank you for the recipe!

This recipe was SO GOOD I was missing maqluba &amp; your recipe was easy to follow and exceptionally delicious. Also your parchment paper hack is genius I got a perfect flip because of it (and also screamed with delight lol I’ve never had a perfect flip prior to trying your hack) ❤️

Used this recipe to improve my maklouba and it truly did make it more flavorful and delicious 🤤🤤🤤🤤 the broth and chicken made the dish so good!!! But I add chickpeas in my rice and fried vermicelli but other than that it was all the same   👌 10/10  (sooo many ppl make maklouba and all you taste is oil… follow this recipe and you will have amazing flavor and not oil taste)

Tried this for tonights dinner- hands down the most flavorful maklouba I've ever tasted

Maqluba (Maglooba)

Kosher salt

extra virgin olive oil,

chicken

yellow onion, (roughly chopped)

garlic cloves, (sliced)

green cardamom pods, (lightly crushed)

almonds

Chopped parsley, (for garnish)

Prep the rice. Rinse the rice through a colander until the water runs clear, then put in a medium bowl and cover with cold water by at least 1 inch. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and let sit for 10 minutes or so. Drain well.

Meanwhile, salt the eggplant. Season the eggplant slices on both sides with about 1 teaspoon salt and arrange them on a clean work surface or large tray. Let sit for 20 to 30 minutes to “sweat” any bitterness. With a paper towel, wipe the eggplant dry, removing the excess salt.

Get ready to roast the vegetables. Position a rack in the center of the oven and another one below it. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly brush two large sheet pans with olive oil.

Season the cauliflower. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Transfer the cauliflower to one of the sheet pans and spread the florets in a single layer, making sure every floret is touching the pan. Arrange the eggplant slices on the other sheet pan in a single layer.

Roast the veggies. Add the cauliflower and eggplant to the heated oven and roast until the eggplant is soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the eggplant from the oven. Keep the cauliflower in the oven and raise the heat to 450°F. Roast the cauliflower until soft and charred in some parts, about another 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven.

Meanwhile, season the chicken. Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl and season with a scant teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Add 1 teaspoon of the allspice and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Toss to coat well.

Sear the chicken. In a nonstick 8-quart pot with a lid that is about 6 inches deep (or similar vessel of at least that depth), heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken and onion, and cook over medium-high heat, tossing around, until the chicken is browned on both sides and the onion is tender and lightly caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes total.

Simmer the chicken. Add the garlic, bay leaves, cardamom, and water to the pot with the chicken. Season with a big pinch of salt (about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon), and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Let the chicken simmer for 20 minutes. Then remove the chicken from the pot and set it on a large plate. Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve set over a bowl to reserve the liquid. Discard the bay leaves, onion, and cardamom pods.

Layer. Wipe the bottom of the pot clean. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and arrange the tomato slices on the bottom of the pot, followed by the eggplant slices, the cauliflower, and the chicken. Pour in the rice on top (it will fill in the spaces between the chicken and vegetables), then sprinkle on the turmeric, the remaining teaspoon allspice, and the remaining teaspoon cinnamon.

Cook the Maqluba. Measure 2 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and pour over the rice. Push the rice and chicken down gently in the pot; you should be able to see the liquid rise up to the level of the rice, barely covering parts of it. If needed, add a little bit more cooking liquid (about 1/4 cup). Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is tender, about 30 minutes. When the rice is done, turn off the heat, leave the lid on the pot, and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes.

Toast the almonds. In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the almonds and cook, tossing gently, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a spoon, transfer them to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Flip and serve. When ready to serve, carefully remove the lid of the pot and place a large, round serving platter on top of the pot (the platter needs to be larger in diameter than the pot). Using both hands, quickly invert the pot so that the platter is now on the bottom (call for help if you need it here; the pot may be heavy). Gently tap the bottom of the pot to help coax the rice and veggies to release. Carefully remove the pot to reveal the maqluba! Top with the toasted almonds and a sprinkle of parsley and serve.

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The most viewed maqluba recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine