Maklouba

Maklouba translates to upside down in Arabic. This dish was given this name because of the way it is prepared. The bottom of a pot is layered with vegetables and meat and then rice is put on top. The whole pot is flipped over when served. If it is made correctly, the rice and vegetables/meat will stay together like a cake.

There are a few keys to getting the Maklouba to stay together when flipped. First make sure your pot is greased well so the vegetables don't stick to the bottom. Second make sure your rice is still steaming hot when you put it on top of the vegetables (you will want to have your vegetables and meat prepared before you make the rice). Third, after you take the pot out of the stove, allow it to sit for at least 20 minutes. Having the rice steaming hot and allowing it to sit for 20 minutes is what makes the rice stick together. If your Maklouba doesn't stick together, don't stress. It will still taste great!

Serves about 6

Ingredients*
1 lb beef, your choice of cut (leave this out to make it vegetarian)
1 large eggplant
​1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
3 medium tomatoes or 2 large
3 medium sized potatoes or 2 large
1 cup oil (whatever oil you use to pan fry)
1/2 teaspoon baharat (middle eastern allspice)
1/2 teaspoon salt + more for sprinkling on vegetables
Rice Ingredients​
2 1/2 cups Basmati rice
4 cups Water
3 tablespoons oil
5 tablespoons tomato paste  
1 tablespoon salt

*You can use any vegetables you would like for this dish. Some other options are cauliflower, mushrooms, or peppers.

Ingredient Preparation:

• Peel stripes on the eggplant lengthwise. Slice into just over 1/4 inch thick circles. Sprinkle with salt and allow to rest for 1/2 hour to hour to allow it to release the moisture.
• Peel onions, cut in half, and slice lengthwise.
• Mince garlic.
• Slice tomatoes in 1/4 inch. Sprinkle with salt.
• Peel potatoes and slice (about 1/8 inch). Sprinkle with salt.
• Cut your stew meat into thin bite size slices.

Pan Frying:

• Start with the eggplants. Rinse salt off and squeeze dry with paper towel. Heat up a large frying pan over medium - high heat. Add 1/2 cup of oil to pan and allow to heat for a minute. Add your eggplants and flip over when one side is browned. Brown the other side. Add 1/4 cup oil as needed. Remove and place between 2 paper towels to absorb oil. Eggplants absorb a lot of oil when pan fried so another option is to brush both sides with oil and roast in oven for on 400 F for 20 minutes or until browned, flipping half way through.
• Add potatoes to pan. Add oil if necessary for any of these frying steps. Fry until both sides are brown and the slices are tender. Place slices between paper towel to absorb oil.
• Add tomatoes and fry for about 2 minutes on each side. You don't want them to fry so much that they are falling apart.
• Place onions and garlic in pan and saute until they start to brown and are tender. Set aside.
• Add meat to pan and Add 1/2 t salt and 1/2 t baharat and stir. Saute until tender.

Rice Preparation:

• Rinse rice a couple times to remove excess starch.
• Soak rice in warm water for about 20 minutes.​
• Heat oil in a pot.
• Add tomato paste and stir until it melts down a bit.
• Add water and salt and bring to a boil.
• Add rice and allow it to boil for a minute.
• Stir rice well to make sure that there are no chunks of tomato paste.
• Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and allow to simmer for about ten minutes.
• Fluff rice with fork and leave covered in pot.

Assembly:

• Preheat oven to 400 F.
• Use a pot that is oven safe and brush with oil or use oil spray
• Start by layering the eggplants and then the other vegetables and meat.
• Add your steaming hot red rice on top.
• Using a flexible spatula, pat down the rice to compact it.
• Put lid on pot and place in oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove from oven and allow to sit covered for 20 to 30 minutes.
• You will need a flat serving plate that is wider than the pot. Remove lid from pot. Place the plate on top of your pot (serving side down) and then flip your pot and serving plate over together. Allow the rice and vegetables to slide down then remove pot.

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