Maqluba (upside-down)
Prep Time 90 Minutes
Serving Size 4 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of lamb cut into medium-sized pieces
- 2 pounds of eggplant peeled and sliced about into 1/4 inch thick slices
- 3 medium sized potatoes peeled and sliced into about 1/4 inch thick slices
- 2 1/2 cups of vegetable oil
- 1 cup thinly sliced onion
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon 7 spices
- 1 teaspoon Sumac
- 1/2 cup pine nuts.
- 1/2 cup pealed and sliced almonds
Directions
- Sautee the chopped onions with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan until translucent.
- Add lamb chops and stir over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Season with black pepper, ‘all spice’, cardamom, cinnamon, and turmeric.
- Add 4 cups of water, cover the pot and let simmer until cooked (about 50 minutes) this will form the meet stock.
- Heat 2.5 cups of vegetable oil in large frying pan. Add eggplant slices and fry both sides until golden brown. Remove the slices from the oil and place them on paper towel to absorb oil and set side.
- Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to frying pan and caramelize the sliced onion.
- In the bottom of a large pot, arrange the sliced potatoes to avoid burning of the meat. Arrange caramelized sliced onions, lamb chops, eggplant slices in layers and the washed and drained rice (in that order).
- Slowly pour 4 cups of the lamb stock without disturbing the layers. Add a small pinch of salt to taste. Bring the pot to a boil over a medium heat, cover the pot then let it simmer until rice is cooked (from 20 to 30 minutes).
- Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to frying pan and fry the sliced almond until golden brown, remove the almond and place on a paper towel. In the same pan, fry the pine nuts until light golden brown, remove from oil and let it dry over a paper towel.
- Let the pot set for 15 to 20 minutes to cool, and then carefully flip it up-side down over a serving platter, sprinkle the top with the fried nuts and serve hot.
