Maqluba
Upside-down spiced rice with chicken and fried vegetables.
Ingredients
- 700 g Chicken thighs
- 400 g Basmati rice
- 1 Eggplant
- ½ Cauliflower
- 1 Onion
- 1 tbsp Allspice
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 300 ml Neutral oil
- 1 tbsp Salt
Method
- Soak the basmati rice in cool water.
- While the rice soaks, slice the eggplant and cauliflower.
- Fry the eggplant and cauliflower in the neutral oil over medium-high heat until golden, then drain on paper.
- Brown the chicken with the onion, allspice, and cinnamon, then add water and salt and simmer briefly into a flavourful broth.
- Layer the chicken, fried vegetables, and drained rice in the pot and pour over the broth.
- Cover and cook on low until the rice is tender and has absorbed the broth.
- Rest the covered pot off the heat for 10 minutes — this is what lets the maqluba hold its shape when you turn it out.
- Lay a platter over the pot and invert it in one confident movement, then lift the pot away.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Maqluba
Maqluba, whose name means upside-down in Arabic, is a celebrated Palestinian and wider Levantine one-pot dish famous for its dramatic presentation: the whole pot is flipped onto a platter at the table so the layers emerge as a standing tower. Beneath the spiced basmati rice sit chicken and fried vegetables, typically eggplant and cauliflower, all bound together by a broth perfumed with allspice and cinnamon. The rice cooks in that seasoned stock until every grain is stained gold and fragrant, while the fried vegetables turn soft and deeply savory. It is warming, aromatic, and built for a crowd.
The heart of the method is the layering: chicken on the bottom becomes the crown once inverted, then the golden fried vegetables, then soaked drained rice, all steamed together under the broth so the flavors migrate through the pot. Frying the eggplant and cauliflower first is essential, giving them a caramelized richness that a plain simmer never would. A rest before the flip lets everything settle so the tower holds its shape when the pot is lifted away. Traditionally a dish for family gatherings and celebrations, maqluba is served with cool yogurt or a simple chopped salad to balance its rich, spiced depth.
Maqluba: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Maqluba?
A serving has about 592 calories — 25.6g protein, 62.6g carbs, 25.7g fat, 4.2g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 25.6g of protein, roughly 17% of its calories.
Is Maqluba gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Maqluba has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Maqluba take to make?
About 80 minutes start to finish, but only around 27 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Maqluba make?
This recipe makes 6 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.