Maqluba (Makloubeh)

Preparing the Meat

1. If using fresh meat, start with cooking the meat and creating the stock.
2. Sear the meat in oil, then add water and aromatics such as onions, carrots, bay leaves and celery.
3. You can either pressure cook it for 10 minutes if using lamb (less time if using chicken) or cook it in a pan on medium heat for 40-60 minutes, until tender. The cooking time depends on the type of meat you use.
4. Remove the meat from the stock and proceed to prepare the vegetables.

Preparing the Vegetables

1. Peel the aubergines in stripes to create a zebra pattern and slice them in 1 cm thickness.
2. Peel the potatoes and slice them slightly thinner than the aubergines.
3. Place a pan on high heat and add some oil.
4. When the oil is hot, fry the potatoes until they turn slightly brown.
5. Place the potatoes on a kitchen towel to get rid of excess oil.
6. Add the aubergines into the same pan and cook them until softened and slightly browned. They will absorb a lot of oil so don't be tempted to add extra oil to the pan.
7. Remove them on a kitchen towel to get rid of excess oil.
8. Alternatively, use an air fryer (which takes 10 to 12 minutes) or roast them in the oven (which takes 20 to 25 minutes in a 200 °C preheated oven). In this case, you will only need 2 tablespoons of oil to drizzle on your vegetables.

Building and cooking the Maqluba

1. Drizzle with a bit of oil on the bottom of the pan you will build your dish.
2. Start with layering your meat, and then sprinkle on ¼ of the pine nuts, currants, salt, pepper and cinnamon.
3. Layer your aubergines on top of the meat and sprinkle on another ¼ of the pine nuts, currants, salt, pepper and cinnamon.
4. Build your 3rd layer with potatoes and add some more spices and nuts.
5. Finish building the dish with basmati rice. Wash the rice under running cold water until the water from the rice runs clear.
6. Drain the rice and spread it on top of the vegetables, press it down gently to ensure it keeps its shape.
7. Sprinkle the rest of the salt, pepper, cinnamon, pine nuts and currants on the top of the rice.
8. Add the stock slowly and gently to the rice, without spoiling the layers.
9. Put a lid on the pan, place it on medium heat and bring it to a boil. Ensure your pan is totally covered to ensure the steam doesn't escape. Use a towel to cover it if necessary.
10. Lower the heat to the minimum and gently simmer the rice for 40 to 45 minutes until the rice absorbed all the liquid.
11. Remove the pan from the heat and keep the lid close. Cover the pan with a couple of clean kitchen cloths and let the Maqluba rest for a minimum of 45 minutes.
12. To serve Maqluba, remove the lid and place a large serving plate or tray as the lid.
13. Carefully flip the pan upside down using the handles. Ask for help if the pan is too heavy for you to handle safely.
14. Keep the pan for a few minutes to let the rice drop on the plate before lifting it up.