If you want to try dishes from the Arab world, then Maqluba recipe should be on your list. This popular Middle Eastern recipe is, in fact, a showstopper due to the memorable moment of the chef flipping the large hot pot comprising vegetables, meat, and rice. This adaptable and versatile dish is easy to make and allows you to choose spices and vegetables according to your taste. 

What is Maqluba? 

In Arabic, Maqluba means upside down, which is why the recipe is named that way. When serving, it is flipped upside down. This recipe's unique feature and attraction is that it appears to be a layered rice cake. When the dish is finally ready to serve, different colourful layers of vegetables, beef or chicken, and spiced rice appear in a tantalizing way. 

Prep time - 20 minutes 

Cook time -1 hour 10 minutes 

Ingredients to prepare Maqluba: 

Here are all the maqluba ingredients required to make this recipe:

Vegetables 

• Eggplant- Take a medium-firm eggplant and slice it into half-inch rounds. Eggplant is an ideal vegetable for absorbing meaty texture and flavours well.

• Yukon Potatoes- Yukon potatoes cut in quarter-inch rounds are good for layering.

• Tomatoes- Sliced large tomatoes.

• Olive Oil- Olive oil for roasting vegetables.

• Salt & Black Pepper- Salt and paper are required to season the vegetables.   

Chicken 

• Chicken Thighs- Boneless and skinless chicken thighs

• Olive Oil- Olive oil is used to brown chicken and onions.  

• Onion- large onion sliced.

• 7 Spice Blend- 7 spice blend to give the dish a warm and aromatic flavour. 

 Rice

• Basmati Rice- Basmati rice absorbs the flavours and does not become mushy.
• 7 Spice Blend & Salt: For a consistent flavour of the maqluba rice. 

Substitutions and additions you can try:

While the ingredients mentioned above are standard for preparing a Maqluba recipe, you can also try out other ingredients as substitutes per your taste. Think of adding some extra ingredients as well. Here are the substitutions and additions:

• Use lamb or beef — Stewed meat or lamb shanks are an authentic alternative to chicken.
• Use cauliflower — Cauliflower is a popular choice for replacing eggplant or potatoes. You can also add cauliflower to the two to make the maqluba recipe. 
• Bake or air fry vegetables — Instead of deep frying, you can also air fry or back vegetables such as potatoes, eggplant, or cauliflower. 
• Think of adding chickpeas — One non-traditional ingredient to explore is adding chickpeas to make the recipe bulky. 
• Vegetable broth — You can use vegetable broth to cook rice and add flavours instead of water. However, ensure that you heat the broth before adding it to the spices. 

How to make Maqluba recipe: 

Preparing zucchini and potatoes: 

First, prepare and cook zucchini and potatoes. Consider these steps:

Cooking the chicken

1. First, combine all the ingredients, such as chicken thighs, olive oil, seven spices, salt, and pepper, in a bowl to make maklouba.

2. Put the seasoning mix nicely as a coat on the chicken.

3. Then, put the chicken thighs in the bottom of the pot and cook them with the onions. Cook the chicken thighs on one side.

4. Next, flip the chicken to cook the other side of the thigh. When it is cooked thoroughly, remove it along with the onions and set them aside. 

Layering the ingredients

1. Put tomato slices at the bottom of the pot.

2. As the 2nd layer, put roasted eggplant slices over the tomato layer.

3. Then, place a layer of sliced potatoes. 

4. Next, put the cooked chicken and onion mixture as the new layer. 

5. Finally, place the drained rice as the top layer

6. To hold the ingredients tightly together, place a round plate on top of the final layer. Then, pour the broth mixture over the plate until it covers the rice well. Ensure that the round plate is heavy enough to press the layers. Remove the plate after 20 minutes when the water has been absorbed by the rice thoroughly.

Note—If the rice is not fully cooked, you can add more water. If necessary, add another ¼ cups of water and cook the rice for another 5-10 minutes. 

Serving Maquluba  

When serving your well-prepared maklouba recipe to your guests or family, it would be good to serve it with some traditional side dishes. Here is what you can serve it with:

• Yogurt
• Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
• Tzatziki
• Fattoush
• Tabbouleh

You can easily prepare a Maqluba recipe as there are only a few ingredients to include, and the cooking process is simple. However, you can add your own choice of ingredients to add flavour that you like. Ensure that the quality of the ingredients is great. 

Wrapping Up 

Maqluba is a popular recipe in the Arab world. Its spices, ingredients, and cooking process give it a unique flavour. It is also amongst the easiest dishes to prepare, though the cooking time may be a little lengthy.