As Ramadan has officially begun, a recipe will be shared throughout the month, scrumptious recipes that can help you with difficult decisions as coming up with food ideas to make for iftar, is not easy.
Today’s recipe is Maqluba, a traditional Levantine dish, a variety of Pilaf that is popular across Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Iraq. It consists of meat, rice, and fried vegetables placed in a pot which is flipped upside down when served, hence the name Maqluba.
This recipe approximately serves 10-12
Ingredients:
2 kg chicken on the bone, cut into medium pieces
2 tbsp Supreme Coriander Powder
1 tbsp Supreme Coarse Black Pepper
1 tsp Supreme Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Supreme Ginger Garlic Paste
Salt to taste
2 cauliflower, cut into florets
4 carrots, cut into thick slices
4 large potatoes, cut into thick slices
2 aubergine, cut into slices
Oil to fry
4 Supreme Bay leaves
6 cups Supreme Basmati Rice
2 onions, sliced
3 lt water
Chopped parsley
1 tbsp ghee
½ cup Supreme Almond Flakes
Spice blend:
Mix together
1 tbsp Supreme Cinnamon Powder
1 tbsp Supreme Cumin Powder
1 tbsp Supreme Coriander Powder
1 tbsp all spice powder
1 tsp Supreme Coarse Black Pepper
1 tsp Supreme Clove Powder
1 tsp Supreme Green Cardamom Powder
Method:
Soak the rice in water and set aside
Marinate the chicken: to the chicken add coriander powder, coarse black pepper, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste and salt to taste. Mix well and set aside to marinate.
Fry the vegetables: in the meantime heat some oil over medium-high heat. Fry all the vegetables except the carrots in batches until golden then set aside.
Sear the chicken: heat ½ cup of oil in a large deep pot over medium-high heat (use the oil used to fry the vegetables).
Sear the chicken in batches for a few minutes on each side or until golden. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Prepare the broth: add sliced onions in the same pot used to sear the chicken. Saute until golden then add the chicken back into the pot and gently stir well. Now add 3 lt of water, spice blend and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and remove any scum that floats to the top. Simmer on low for 20 minutes. Strain the hot broth to remove the onions and bay leaves. Check and adjust seasoning of the broth and set it aside.
Assemble the maqluba: lightly grease the bottom of a large pot. (You can line the bottom of the pan with a round parchment paper to prevent ingredients from sticking). Place a layer of potatoes and aubergine on the bottom, then cauliflower, carrots and chicken. Drain the rice and place on top the chicken.
Slowly pour the strained broth over the rice, just enough to cover the rice by about a centimeter. Place the pot over medium-low heat and bring to a gentle boil. When the water is fully absorbed (use a chopstick to check) reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the rice is fully cooked.
Prepare a large round platter. Bring the pot to the platter and quickly and carefully flip into an upside-down position. Leave for 5 minutes then slowly raise the pot up to have a nice beautiful cake shaped like Maqluba. Lightly toast almond flakes in ghee until golden. Garnish it with almond flakes and chopped parsley.
