Diversity is one of the characteristics that make Palestinian culture special and that is due to the many connections Palestine has with its neighboring countries. Food is also part of the culture, and it is as diverse as any other part. Thus, Maklouba has various recipes, but let’s focus on the one you will find made in all parts of Palestine!
Side note: Maklouba literally means the upside down dish.
Ingredients:
3 cups of rice
1 chicken, keep the broth (3-4 cups).
8 Garlic Cloves
1 Onion
1 Cauliflower
Salt and Pepper
2 tbs of spices( cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, mixed spices)
1 tbs turmeric
1 tbs saffron
Almonds and pine nuts for topping.
The fun part, cooking Maklouba.
Start with boiling the chicken, the way you regularly do and keep the broth.
Soak the rice before cooking it.
Fry the Cauliflower, keep it aside. Now, if you want more variety, you can definitely fry some potato slices, carrots and even eggplants for more flavor!
Mix all the spices together and add to the rice and the chicken the way you like it, make sure the chicken is well covered with them.
Now grab your pot and start the action:
Put the pot on a medium heat then spread a bunch of the rice on the bottom of the pot (that’s in case you burnt it, the damage would be manageable) and nicely assemble the chickens on the rice. Add the cauliflower, and the rice. Finally, gently pour the chicken broth until its at the same level of the rice. Boil until the rice cooks and the water steams itself out.
This is why we call it Maklouba!
When your dish is completely ready and cooked, you will prepare yourself for the final act, the one that’s more sacred than eating! This is where we flip the Maklouba! Grab a large flat dish and cover the pot with it. Now, many women have different ways of flipping, some even use their heads, but we’ll teach you the easy way.
Grab an oven glove and place your hand under the pot, and the other hand over the flat dish. Now flip really fast and set it down on the table. Call one of the little munchkins racing around the house to drum on the top so all the yummy goodness can un-stick from the pot. Sprinkle those nuts on top, and reach for the stars with that first bite of heaven!
You can watch a full video on how to make Makloubah here.
