This one is not a new recipe. In fact, I've shared two versions of Maqluba before, Shredded Chicken Maqluba and Chicken and Eggplant Maqluba. This is my third and final version of this Jordanian dish. It’s basically a layered pot of meat, vegetables and rice. Cooked all together and then flipped over a serving big flat platter, making this beautiful cake-like form. It's a favorite in our house! I hope it will be a favorite in yours!
Ingredients:
3 cups rice
3 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter, separated
2 lbs London Broil, cut into 2 inch cubes
3 onions
7 bay leaves
10 cardamon pods
1/4 nutmeg
black pepper
2 tablespoons Baharat (Arabic spices, usually found in international supermarkets)
1/2 cup mazola
1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
3 tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon turmeric
Directions:
Soak rice in a bowl of water with a pinch of salt until ready to use.
Put London Broil pieces, one onion – halved, bay leaves, cardamon seeds, black pepper, salt, Bharat, and water. Stir, cover, & cook till beef is cooked through. If you are using a pressure cooker, this takes about 45 – 60 minutes. It will take longer in a regular pot. Also, if you are using a regular pot, make sure to have enough liquid left to use later.
In the meantime, put mazola in a pan, heat well. Cut one onion into thin moon shapes. Once heated, sauté onion. DO NOT CRISP OR BURN. Remove and place in a plate lined with a napkin to drain excess oil.
Cut the cauliflower and fry in remaining mazola. Remove and place on a plate lined with a napkin to drain excess oil.
When beef is fully cooked, drain from water keeping the water in a bowl or large measuring cup.
Drain rice as well.
On drained rice, add cinnamon, salt, Bharat, black pepper, turmeric, cardamon powder, and grate 1/4 nutmeg. Mix well.
In a different pot, melt 1 tblspn ghee and the beef cubes in one row at the bottom of the pot.
Add cauliflower on top of beef.
Add sautéed onions on top of cauliflower.
Add tomatoes on top of onions. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder and salt.
Add rice on top of tomatoes. Top with 1/2 tspn ghee and a heat-safe plate.
Add the water from the beef till it covers the rice by 1/2 an inch. Leave on high heat till boils.
Once boils, reduce heat to low and let cook till all water is consumed by the rice.
Once all water is gone and rice is cooked, turn off the heat. Remove lid. Place a tray on top of the pan, facing down. Carefully, flip entire pot into the tray & serve with yogurt.
*NOTE: If you do not have ghee or clarified butter, regular unsalted butter is perfectly fine! The maqluba is seasoned with a middle eastern spice blend called baharat, which includes ground coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, cumin seeds, cardamom and nutmeg. You can purchase baharat at Middle Eastern markets or online at Amazon.
If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a photo and hashtag it #EATDRINKPLAYLA. I'd love to see how yours turned out!