Maqluba (Upside-Down Layered Rice) Recipe | Metropolitan Market (2024)

Maqluba (Upside-Down Layered Rice) Recipe | Metropolitan Market (1)

Maqluba (Upside-Down Layered Rice) Recipe | Metropolitan Market (2)

Serves 6 to 8

Maqluba, in Arabic, means upside-down. This layered rice and vegetable dish is a showstopper! It is traditionally served in Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan, and Syria. Don't be intimidated by the number of steps—it's actually pretty easy and well worth the effort. Find fried onions for the garnish in the grocery aisle; they add bothcrunchandflavor.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large russet potato, peeled and cubed (1 1/2 cups)
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 large eggplant, cubed (2 cups)
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (1 1/2 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Seeds from 5 cardamom pods
  • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons ground allspice
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 pound ground lamb or beef (omit for a vegetarian version)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 -4 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
  • 3 cups unsalted chicken or vegetable broth, room temperature (plus up to 1 cup more, if needed, as rice cooks)
  • OPTIONAL:
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves or cilantro
  • 1/4 cup crispy fried onions

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Place cubed potato on lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast 10 minutes. Add eggplant, drizzle with another 1 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return to oven 10 minutes or until vegetables are browned.
  3. While vegetables roast, rinse rice in a strainer. Place rice in a bowl, cover with warm water, and soak 20 minutes. (While rice soaks, proceed to step 4.) After 20 minutes, drain rice and season with 2 1/2 to 3 teaspoons salt.
  4. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 - 2 tablespoons oil. Sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and remaining spices. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add ground meat and tomato paste. Stir and cook until meat is no longer pink. Adjust seasoning, to taste. Set aside.
  5. Line bottom of a 3 to 4-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid with a circle of parchment paper. Brush 2 tablespoons olive oil over parchment. Arrange slices of tomato over parchment in 2 layers.
  6. Top tomatoes with roasted potatoes and eggplant. Spoon meat mixture over vegetables and press down with the flat bottom of a measuring cup or the back of a large spoon.
  7. Cover with drained rice. Carefully pour 3 cups room-temperature broth over rice, so as not to disrupt the grains. Do not stir.
  8. Bring contents of pot to a gentle boil over high heat. Reduce to a simmer. Cover pot with a sheet of foil. Then place lid over the foil on the pot. Crimp extra foil around the rim where the lid meets the pan to seal in the steam. Simmer gently 15 minutes.
  9. Remove foil and lid. Carefully fluff just the top layer of rice, stirring center grains to the outside for even cooking. Re-cover with foil and lid and cook another 25 minutes. Check doneness of rice. If it's not yet cooked through, fluff again and add a little more broth. Simmer gently 5 to 10 minutes longer or until rice is tender. Remove from heat and set aside 10 to 20 minutes before inverting.
  10. Place a large, rimmed platter over the top of the pan. Protect your hands with oven mitts. In one swift motion, hold the platter in place and carefully invert the maqluba onto the platter. Carefully remove the pan. Garnish with pine nuts, parsley, and fried onions. Cut into wedges and serve warm.
  11. Cook's Tip:
  12. If your maqluba falls apart as you invert it, don't worry. Garnish and enjoy ? it will taste just as good! You can also present it in a beautiful bowl for an elegant presentation.

Nutrition:

Amount Per Serving (based on 8 servings)

Calories: 450

Fat: 21 g

Saturated Fat: 7 g

Trans Fat: 1 g

Cholesterol: 40 mg

Sodium: 440 mg

Carbohydrates: 51 g

Fiber: 3 g

Sugar: 4 g

Added Sugars: 0 g

Protein: 256 g

We provide nutritional information for our delicious recipes to help you select foods that meet your health and lifestyle goals. Care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of recipes and information. Nutritional data is intended for educational purposes, and not for the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, or cure of any medical condition. Please consult your healthcare provider for specific advice on diet and health. Click here to learn how we analyze the nutritional value of our recipes.

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Maqluba (Upside-Down Layered Rice) Recipe | Metropolitan Market (2024)

FAQs

What country is Maqluba from? ›

Maqluba
Alternative namesMaaluba, magluba, maqlouba, Maqlooba
Place of originJordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria
Region or stateLevant
Serving temperatureHot
Main ingredientsMeat, rice, and vegetables (tomato, cauliflower, potato, eggplant)
3 more rows

How do you reheat Maqluba? ›

For reheating, you have a couple of options. If you prefer the stove, gently heat the Maqluba in a pot over medium-low heat until it's thoroughly warmed. Alternatively, you can reheat it in the microwave, at 1 minute intervals until warmed through.

How to make Maqluba with minced meat? ›

Brown the ground meat:
  1. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté onions in oil then add ground beef and spices, mix well. ...
  2. Preheat oven to 400F.
  3. Line an oven safe dish with parchment paper.
  4. Arrange tomato slice at the bottom of the pan.
  5. Top that with a layer of the browned ground beef.
Mar 18, 2024

What is upside down dinner? ›

Upside Down Skillet Dinner is my new favorite thing. To make it, you simply bake — in a skillet — some vegetables and meat beneath a layer of cornbread batter. Then you invert the works, all in one shimmering piece, onto a plate or platter. The finished product resembles a savory Tarte Tatin.

Is maqluba Palestinian or Jordanian? ›

Maqluba or Maqlooba is a traditional Jordanian, Iraqi, Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian dish served throughout the Levant.

What does maqluba mean in Arabic? ›

A Palestinian tradition, maqluba means “upside down” in Arabic and is a pot of stewed meat, rice and fried vegetables, cooked and flipped onto a serving dish to form an impressive tower.

What is Maqluba spice made of? ›

If you want to make your own premix spice, mix 1 teaspoon turmeric with ½ teaspoon ginger, 1 teaspoon all spice, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon mild curry powder, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon cumin (this is what I prefer).

What is Margooga? ›

Margooga Laham is the soul food of Emirati cuisine. It is a hearty and satisfying stew of meat, vegetables and soaked Arabic bread made with fragrant spices and broth, making it a rich and flavourful dish for any occasion.

What is Maqluba made of? ›

You may have heard of Maqluba (also known as makloubeh, maqlooba, maqlouba), a prevalent Middle Eastern rice dish from Palestine that is sure to impress. It consists of seasoned rice, baked vegetables like cauliflower, potatoes, eggplant, and tender pieces of lamb.

What's the difference between minced and chopped meat? ›

Chopping, dicing and mincing. In a nutshell, chopped pieces of a given food are larger than diced pieces, and minced pieces are smaller and more irregularly shaped than diced pieces.

What is the difference between pork and beef mince? ›

Calorie content varies depending on the fat content, but typically beef mince has slightly more calories and more saturated fat than pork mince. Beef also has almost twice the iron and zinc of pork, but pork has almost 30 times more vitamin B1.

Why do you think we should not try to eat upside down? ›

Answer. Answer: We don't do so, as if we r upside down our all the inner organs are a bit slower than usual. If we will eat food at that time, the food will not be digested and because of some digestive juices in stomach , we feel like vomiting.

Why do people eat their food upside down? ›

Hamburger buns are often cut with the bottom part thin and the top part thick. This is somewhat backwards as the bottom part of the bum needs to support weight and the top part is just there to keep your fingers clean. People solve the problem of weak bottom buns by turning the burger upside down.

Why do we eat upside down? ›

You Can Eat Upside Down.

Food doesn't need gravity to reach your stomach. When you eat something, the muscles in your esophagus constrict and relax in a wavelike manner, which is called peristalsis and pushes food along the esophagus and into the stomach. It's difficult to eat upside down, but it's possible.

Where did Makloubi come from? ›

Even Wikipedia notes that the dish's origin is simply, “Middle East,” adding that it dish goes back centuries and is found in the Kitab al-Tabikh, a collection of 13th century recipes. One thing is certain: the dish – perhaps from Baghdad, perhaps not – is a popular feast in the Middle East today.

Who invented maqluba? ›

Well, there are many stories about the origin of maqluba. One particular story says that it was invented by a Syrian cook who was trying to impress a visiting dignitary. Another suggests that it was created during the time of the Crusades by Arab cooks who were trying to come up with a new way to use leftover rice!

What is Syria's national dish? ›

Kibbeh is considered to be a national dish of Syria. In Levantine cuisine, kibbeh is made by pounding bulgur wheat together with meat into a fine paste and forming it into ovoid shapes, with toasted pine nuts and spices. It may also be layered and cooked on a tray, deep-fried, grilled, or served raw.

What is Palestine's national dish? ›

Musakhan the national dish of Palestine, is a traditional dish composed of roasted chicken that is baked with onions, spices and fried pines nuts, then served on Taboon bread.

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