Ramadan recipe: maqluba – upside-down lamb, aubergine and rice

Throughout the holy month, 'The National' is teaming up with Table Tales to share daily recipes to experiment with at home

Maqluba, which means upside-down, gets its name owing to the cooking style, which involves flipping the pot it is made in. Victor Besa / The National 

All of the ingredients needed for maqluba, often credited as the national dish of Palestine. Victor Besa / The National

Vegetables used in the maqluba: aubergine, tomatoes and onions. Victor Besa / The National

To make maqluba, the vegetables and meat are layered under rice in a large pot. Victor Besa / The National

The aubergine is layered up the side of the maqluba pot. Victor Besa / The National

Three generations cooking maqluba together, Nisreen Bajis with her mother, Nihaya (right), and daughter (left). Victor Besa / The National

The moment of truth: Nisreen Bajis flips the maqluba with her mother. Victor Besa / The National

The finished product, a perfectly flipped maqluba. Victor Besa / The National

Join The National and Table Tales on a culinary journey around the Middle East to savour the quintessential dishes that embody the spirit of Ramadan. From table staples to family favourites, this series of recipes – one for each day of Ramadan – pays homage to the holy month and the home cook alike.

Often credited as the national dish of Palestine, maqluba is also popular in other regions that make up the Levant, from Iraq and Lebanon to Jordan and Syria. The dish finds mention in the 13th-century Kitab Al-Tabikh (Book of Dishes) written in the Abbasid period by Muhammad al-Baghdadi.

The dish got its name owing to the cooking style, which involves flipping the entire contents of the pot it is made in.

Recipe contributor Nisreen Bajis says: "This upside-down rice dish is a fixture in every Palestinian home. Comprising of layers of fried aubergine, tomato, caramelised onions and lamb; sauteed and simmered in a broth of cinnamon, cardamom, all spice and rice.

"The aromas of this one-pot wonder always take me back to weekend lunches with the whole family and conjures up images of my mum cooking up a storm in the kitchen, with her little helpers, my sisters and I. We are so fortunate to have my mum, Nihaya, with us this Ramadan and to be able to make this dish together, with a new helper, my daughter. Maqluba is traditionally served with a tomato and cucumber salad and yoghurt."

Nisreen Bajis's maqluba – upside-down lamb, aubergine and rice

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients for the lamb broth: 

• 1.5kg lamb, cut into 10-12 pieces 
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp all spice
• 10 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves
• 4 tbsp sunflower oil 
• 1 tsp salt

Ingredients for the vegetable mix:

• 1 large onion cut into thin wedges
• 3 medium size eggplants sliced lengthways
• 2 large tomatoes size sliced

Ingredients for the rice mix:

• 3 cups medium grain rice, wash and soaked for at least 15 minutes prior to cooking
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp seven spices
• 1 tsp all spice
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup slivered almonds to garnish

Method:

1. Wash the lamb and pat dry. In pressure cooker, heat 2 tbsp of oil and sear the lamb, letting all the liquid drain out and evaporate. Pour enough water over to cover the meat by 1cm to 2cm and add all the lamb broth spices. Seal the pot and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.
2. Once cooked, remove the lamb from the broth and set aside. Save the broth by pouring the mixture through a colander to remove the onion and spices.
3. Fry the onions in the remaining 2 tbsp of oil until caramelised and set aside. Brush the aubergine in sunflower oil, place on a baking tray and bake in the oven until tender.
4. In another pot, layer the tomatoes and fried onion, then the aubergine so that it goes up the sides of the pot. Layer the lamb on top of the vegetables.
5. Drain the rice, which will have been soaking in water for a least 15 minutes, and add the cinnamon, seven spices, all spice and salt.
6. Place the rice in a layer on top of the lamb and pour the lamb stock on top, enough to cover by 1cm. Note, if you do not have enough broth, you can top it up with warm water.
7. Let the rice boil for 10 minutes and then cover the pot tightly and leave it to simmer on a medium to low heat for 30 to 40 minutes.
8. Once cooked, let the pot sit for a few minutes before removing the lid and placing a large tray on top of the pot, then flipping it over.

9. Serve with a side of plain yoghurt and simple salad made up of cucumber, tomato and parsley, dressed in olive oil, lemon juice and salt. Garnish the maqluba with slivered almonds. 

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This dish has been brought to you by Nisreen Bajis and curated by international recipe hunter Hanan Sayed Worrell, author of Table Tales: The Global Nomad Cuisine of Abu Dhabi. The Table Tales concept celebrates the people and stories that give flavour to recipes of the Middle East.