Maha Sarsours Maqluba Upside Down Chicken And Rice Recipes

MAQLUBA (UPSIDE-DOWN CHICKEN AND RICE)

Steps:

• Bring chicken, water, onion, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, allspice, salt and pepper to a boil in a large pot. Skim off scum from chicken broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Remove chicken from broth and set chicken aside.
• While broth continues to simmer, heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Fry eggplant slices in hot oil until brown on both sides; remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. (When cool, cut into quarters if pieces are large.) Use the same process to separately fry the carrots, potatoes and cauliflower.
• Layer potatoes on bottom of a large pot. Arrange chicken over potatoes, then eggplant, carrots and cauliflower on top of the chicken in layers. Pour uncooked rice over chicken and vegetables, shaking pot gently to allow rice to settle. Strain chicken broth and Pour over mixture until mixture is completely submerged in liquid. Add water if needed.
• Cover pot and simmer over low heat until rice is soft and all liquid is absorbed, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove lid. Place a very large platter over pot and flip pot so dish is upside down on the platter. Serve with yogurt.

CHICKEN MAQLUBA - UPSIDE DOWN RICE

Steps:

• Marinate the chicken: Use fresh Chicken. Keep the skin on. Cut the pieces into medium-large pieces. Pat dry and add to a bowl.
• Add the ingredients 'to marinate Chicken' and rub well into the pieces. Salt is not added now.
• Set aside the chicken to marinate for 1 hour.
• Wash and Soak Rice: Meanwhile, rinse the rice thoroughly till the water runs clear, and then soak the rice for up to 30 minutes. (Read the package instructions as different rice varieties require less or no soaking time). However I found for a 'one-take' and 'fixed liquid' type of cooking like Maqluba, the soaking ensures that the rice will be cooked nicer and not sticky. Keep the rice drained in a colander, after soaking time.
• Prepare Spice-mix: Mix together all ingredients for the spice mix in a small bowl and set this aside.
• Chop/Slice Vegetables: Chop the onion. Slice the garlic, potato and cauliflower, and carrot. The potato and cauliflower must be fairly thick slices/chunks. Keep one side of the cauliflower chunks flat, so that they are easier to pan-fry later.
• Par-Fry/Sear the Marinated Chicken: Heat 1/4 cup oil in a flat- non-stick pan large enough to fit the chicken pieces. We don't want to cook them fully, just sear the skin and give it a golden brown color on all sides. This takes 4-5 minutes per side, depending on the size of the pieces.
• Remove the chicken to a plate. Strain the oil used for frying and add to a stockpot.
• Preparing the Broth: Heat the same oil used for frying the chicken in the stockpot. Add the chopped onion and saute till softened nicely and just starting to change color.
• Return the fried chicken and toss with the onions to coat the chicken and absorb some flavor. Toss just a brief while. Add salt(1tsp) and mix through. Remember we have not added any salt to the chicken while marinating.
• Add hot water(8cups) and the bay leaves and bring to a simmer. As the water begins to simmer, remove the scum that floats to the top of the broth. Once the broth boils strongly it will just boil 'into' the stock and can not be removed. If the scum is not removed it can cause an unpleasant layer of impurity over the cooked rice.
• As soon as the water boils, add (1Tbsp) of the prepared spice mix. Stir, cover, and reduce heat to low - bring to a light simmer. Simmer like this, covered, for 20 minutes. Continue at step 15.
• Frying of Vegetables: Heat a generous amount of oil in the same pan used earlier for chicken( washed clean). First, fry the garlic sliced till light golden and quickly strain them out of the oil Don't allow them to turn dark, or they will go bitter.
• To the flavored oil, add the. cauliflower first and fry each side till golden. remove the fried cauliflower to kitchen paper towels, to absorb the excess oil. Repeat this process with the Potatoes. No need to fry the carrots.
• After simmering for 20 minutes, remove the broth from heat. Remove the chicken pieces gently. Sprinkle a dash of salt lightly, over the chicken pieces and set them aside.
• Strain the hot broth to remove the onions. We may discard this. Measure the resulting broth and set it aside.
• Assemble the Maqluba: Although usually 1 large pot is used to prepare the Maqluba, I prefer to divide the ingredients into two smaller, similar-sized pots. This makes it easier to flip over later. Divide all the ingredients into the two pots in the following order. Or add it all to one pot, if you prefer that.
• You can very lightly grease the bottom of the pot. First, add a layer of Chicken. Adding the chicken on the bottom helps to get the skin crisp, and you get a sort of 'baked effect' which tastes so good.
• Fill in the gaps with the carrot slices. Next, add a layer of fried cauliflower chunks and then a layer of potato slices.
• Next, Divide the rice equally into both pots. Do not stir the layers. So you have three layers now, of chicken, vegetables, and rice.
• Now sprinkle over (1 3/4 tsp salt)/per pot over the rice and( 1/2 tsp) prepared spice mix/per pot. (Again- no mixing please). Also, divide and scatter the fried garlic slices over the top.
• Slowly pour the strained broth over the rice, just enough to cover the rice by about a centimeter.
• Cook the Maqluba on Low heat: Place a small flat steel plate over the top to help keep the layers from moving around.
• Cover the pots, and place on the lowest heat. After 10-15 minutes ( since we are using smaller pots), the water should be absorbed. The water should never boil, or the layers will be disrupted.
• After 10 minutes, I listen to the pot to make sure there is no crackling noise. In any case, do not cook too long, or you will burn the bottom layer.
• Remove the steel plate from the top and check on the side of the rice with a long chopstick, to make sure there is no liquid left.
• Now return the lid and just rest the cooked maqluba for a further 10 minutes. This will help the rice to plump up in the residual steam and also develop flavor.
• Open and allow any excess steam to escape.
• Makloubeh the Maqluba! Or flip it upside down: Place the serving platter over the open pot and grab hold to the handles as well as the side of the platter - together firmly to Flip it over. Wait at least 5 minutes before gently lifting the pot to reveal the lovely tower, that is Maqluba! Garnishing is not necessary, although you might like some toasted pine nuts. Serve with Yoghurt-Cucumber Salad. I like to add some garlic powder and cumin to my yogurt salad.
• Sahtain!

SPICED MAQLUBA WITH TOMATOES AND TAHINI SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine lentils with 1 quart/1 liter cold water and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for 20 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary to keep temperature low, then stir in rice. Simmer for another 6 to 8 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through. (The rice won't be ready at this stage.)
• Drain very well. Stir in lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, cardamom, allspice, turmeric, half of the parsley, plenty of pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Mix to combine and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large nonstick frying pan, heat 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add onions, 3/4 teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper and cook, stirring, until soft and well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Using olive oil, grease a 10-inch-/25-centimeter-wide saucepan with straight sides and a lid. Line the bottom with a round piece of parchment paper.
• In a bowl, toss tomatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and plenty of pepper and then arrange them flat on the bottom of the pan. (If using cherry tomatoes, lay the cut sides down.) Layer the cooked onions on top and then spoon the rice mixture over the onions, smoothing it down so the surface is flat. Using a skewer, poke about 6 holes in the rice and then sprinkle the surface with 2 tablespoons water. Place the pan over high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the pan with a clean tea towel followed by the lid and then cook for 15 minutes, until rice is barely cooked. (Take care that the towel edges are held safely over the lid so they don't catch fire!) Check after 10 minutes to make sure the pan is not dry; add a little water if needed.
• Set pan aside for at least 20 minutes (with the lid and tea towel left on); residual heat will finish the cooking.
• While rice rests, make tahini sauce: In a bowl, combine tahini with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of garlic, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon of salt and 1/3 cup/90 milliliters of water. Whisk until smooth and creamy and set aside.
• When ready to serve, remove the lid and tea towel and then cover the top of the pan with a large platter. With one hand on the pan and the other holding the platter, invert the dish so that the top of the rice is now the base of the maqluba on the platter (like unmolding an upside-down cake). Tap the bottom of the pan a few times to help the tomatoes ease off the bottom. Peel off and discard the paper.
• Serve hot, with shallots and remaining parsley sprinkled on top. Pass tahini sauce at the table.

UPSIDE DOWN (MAQLUBA)

Steps:

• Bring to a boil the water, onion, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, garam masala, salt, and pepper in a large pot. Add the lamb; reduce the heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Separate the lamb from the liquid and set aside. Transfer the liquid to a bowl.
• While the lamb mixture simmers, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Fry the eggplant slices in the hot oil, assuring the pieces do not touch, until brown on both sides; remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Use the same procedure to fry the zucchini and the cauliflower. Cook the broccoli in the oil until hot and remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Layer the lamb into the bottom of the large pot. Arrange the eggplant, zucchini, broccoli, and cauliflower on top of the lamb in layers. Pour the rice over the meat and vegetables, shaking the pot gently to allow the rice to settle into the dish. Pour the reserved cooking liquid from the lamb over the mixture until it is completely covered. Add water if needed.
• Cover the pot and simmer over low heat until the rice is soft and the liquid is absorbed, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the lid from the pot. Place a large platter over the pot and flip the pot so the dish is "upside down" on the platter. Serve with yogurt on the side.