Since I'm of Middle Eastern descent, I guess my palate is automatically receptive of all tastes Middle Eastern: the strong and diverse spices, hearty aroma and wholesome, complex tastes! A few days ago, I had an amazing "Maqluba" dish, which is a classic demonstration of the cuisine of that distinctive region that stretches from Iran in the east to Morocco and Mauritania in the west, roughly speaking. This dish has SO many ingredients, that make it a true feast for the senses, yet might also make it quite overwhelming for those of us who'll give it a try for the first time! The KEY is ORGANIZATION and I'll guide through, step by step, to a traditional Palestinian recipe of "Maqluba" that is guaranteed to WOW your family and friends. Try it, it's really so WORTH THE EFFORT.
* First, The "Qidra Spices": (remember to use the freshest spices you can get!)
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg + 1/4 tsp ground red pepper + 1 tsp ground cinnamon + 1 tsp ground cardamom + 1 tsp ground cloves + 1 tsp ground dried lemon (or 1 tsp fresh lemon zest) + 3 tsp ground allspice + 2 tsp ground black pepper + 4 tbsp garlic powder + 4 tbsp turmeric
* Second, The Meat:
- 1 medium chicken, cut into 8 pieces, bone-in, skin removed OR 700 gr lean beef or lamb, cut into medium chunks
- Brown the skinless chicken or meat in 2 tbsp of olive oil, put them in a large enough pot, add water to cover completely and bring to a boil on a high heat; then remove any froth and reduce the heat to medium, stir in 1 roughly chopped onion + 1 celery stalk, cut in half + 1 tied bunch of parsley stalks + 1 sprig of rosemary + 2 bay leaves + 2 pebbles of mastic, crushed with a pinch of salt + 5 cardamom pods + 1 cinnamon stick + 1 dried lemon OR rind of half a fresh lemon (omit if using meat).
- Simmer for an hour or until chicken or meat is tender, add a little bit of salt and stir until dissolved; cool, drain and reserve broth and chicken or meat separately.
* Third, The vegetables:
- Saute 1 large julienned onion + 10 chopped large garlic cloves in 2 tbsp of olive oil until caramelized; remove from heat and let cool.
- Peel and thinly slice 2 medium potatoes
- Slice 2 large tomatoes
- De-seed, de-vein and cut 1 large sweet red pepper into large strips
- Peel and cut 3 carrots into finger-sized sticks
- 1 cup (or 14-oz can) cooked chickpeas
- 2 large eggplants, sliced into 1 cm thick slices, and oven-roasted
* Fourth, The Rice:
- 2 1/2 cups medium grain rice, well-rinsed and soaked for 20 minutes + 3 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp cinnamon, add the Qidra Spices above and mix them together
The Assembly
- In a large non-stick pot, add 2 tbsp olive oil then layer the potato slices into a nice circular, overlapping pattern, follow by tomato, sauteed onions and garlic, red pepper, carrots, chicken or meat, eggplant and chickpeas. Cover with rice mixed with spices (as mentioned). Gently ladle the broth over the rice until just covered (approximately 2 cups of broth for every cup of rice).
- Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover tightly and let simmer for about 40 minutes or until rice is cooked and there's no more broth left.
- Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for about 30 minutes.
- Un-mold the Maqluba (upside-down) on a large serving dish and decorate with freshly-chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts or almonds.
BIL HANA'
Love,
The Sugar & Spice Girl
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