Maqluba

Maqluba is a one-pot meal of rice, vegetables and meat turned on its head. Literally translating to 'upside down', it is made with fried cauliflower or aubergine, often with carrots and potatoes, all of which are usually fried, and includes meat such as chicken, lamb, goat or beef. Normally, women with children had their hands full with the general family requirements and the running of the house. The need to prepare a delicious and hearty meal that would feed an entire family inexpensively, with little fuss or washing up, is the general idea behind maqluba, as it is behind the Ashkenazi tchulnt, the Sephardi dafina and the Iraqi-Jewish tebit. While they may each be arranged differently in the pot, require specific cooking times and incorporate different combinations of meat, cereals, legumes and vegetables, essentially all of them feed many mouths from a single pot. In Jewish communities, this is also a solution to the Shabbat's challenges, where copious quantities of food have to be prepared by Friday afternoon and last the entire weekend. The famous, slow-cooked dishes of both Ashkenazim and Sephardim are fine examples of necessity creating culinary artistry. Their iconic standing in Jewish culture reflects the amount of love and thought put into them. The challenge is to make a dish that is appealing and diverse even though it has been cooked, or has started its cooking, many hours before. The solutions are so creative and varied that Israeli food writer Sherry Ansky has even dedicated a whole book to tchulnt or hamin as it is also called. Each community has managed to include its staple ingredients in the famous one-pot meal to uncanny degrees of harmony and deliciousness. Among others, chickpeas and all types of dried beans are included, wheat, rice or barley, kosher sausages, various fritters, all meat varieties, eggs, noodles, potatoes, courgettes and stuffed vegetables of any description.

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Step 1

Place the aubergine slices on a piece of kitchen paper, sprinkle with some salt on both sides and leave for 20 minutes to lose some of the water.

Step 2

Wash the rice and soak in plenty of cold water and 1 teaspoon of salt for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3

Meanwhile, heat up a large saucepan and sear the chicken over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown (the chicken skin should produce enough oil to cook it; if needed, add a little sunflower oil).

Step 4

Add the onion, peppercorns, bay leaves, and 900ml of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low heat for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the stock and set it aside. Drain the stock and reserve for later, skimming the fat.

Step 5

While the chicken is cooking, heat up a saucepan or casserole dish over a medium-high heat, preferably non-stick, that is roughly 24cm in diameter and 12cm high. Add enough sunflower oil to come about 2cm up the sides of the pan. When you start seeing little bubbles surfacing, carefully (it may spit!) place some of the cauliflower florets in the oil and fry until golden brown, up to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the first batch onto kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining cauliflower.

Step 6

Pat-dry the aubergine slices with kitchen paper and fry them similarly in batches.

Step 7

Remove the oil from your pan and wipe it clean. If it isn't a non-stick pan line the base with a circle of baking parchment cut to the exact size and brush the sides with some melted butter. Now you are ready to layer the maqluba.

Step 8

Start by arranging the slices of tomato in one layer, overlapping, followed by the aubergine slices. Next, arrange the cauliflower pieces and chicken thighs. Drain the rice well and spread it over the final layer and scatter the garlic pieces on top. Measure out 700ml of the reserved chicken stock and mix in all the spices, plus 1 teaspoon of salt. Pour this over the rice and then gently press it down with your hands, making sure all the rice is covered with stock. Add a little extra stock or water if needed.

Step 9

Put the pan on a medium heat and bring to a simmer; the stock doesn't need to simmer vigorously but you do need to make sure that it boils properly before covering the pan with a lid, reducing the heat to low and cooking on low heat for 30 minutes. Don't be tempted to uncover the pan; you'll need to allow the rice to steam properly. Remove the pot from the heat, take off the lid and quickly place a clean tea towel over the pot, then seal with the lid again. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Step 10

Once ready, remove the lid and place a large round serving plate or platter over the open pan and carefully but quickly invert the pan holding both sides firmly. Leave the pot on the plate for 2-3 minutes then slowly and carefully lift it off. Garnish with the pine nuts and serve with the yoghurt with cucumber.