Maqluba Upside Down Rice: Palestine’s Most Dramatic Dinner

⏱ Prep: 30 min 🔥Cook: 1 hr 20 min 👤Serves: 6 🌍Origin: Palestine

Maqluba upside down rice is the Palestinian celebration dish that has been feeding families across the Levant since at least the 13th century, a layered pot of spiced chicken, roasted eggplant, potato, cauliflower and tomato under fragrant spiced rice cooked in chicken broth, then flipped dramatically onto a platter at the table to reveal its beautiful layered interior. Maqluba means “upside down” in Arabic, and the flip is as much a part of the dish as the food itself, the moment the pot comes off and the layers hold their shape is the moment the table comes alive. More steps than a weeknight meal. Worth every one.

Ingredients

For the chicken and broth

• 2 lbs (900g) bone-in chicken pieces, thighs and drumsticks. Bone-in produces the richest broth. Season with 1 teaspoon 7 spice, ½ teaspoon turmeric, salt and black pepper.
• 1 medium yellow onion, halved
• 3 cardamom pods, cracked
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups (1.4 liters) water
• Salt to taste

For the vegetables

• 1 large eggplant, sliced into ½-inch rounds. Sprinkle with salt, rest 10 minutes, pat dry. Roast or shallow-fry until golden.
• 2 medium potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch rounds. Roast or shallow-fry until just tender.
• ½ small cauliflower, cut into florets. Roast until golden. Optional but common.
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into rounds. Used as the base layer of the pot, they prevent sticking and add moisture.
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, for roasting the vegetables

For the rice

• 2 cups (400g) basmati rice, rinsed until water runs clear, soaked in cold water 30 minutes, drained
• 1½ teaspoons Lebanese 7 spice (baharat), the defining spice of maqluba. Contains allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, cloves, coriander and nutmeg. Available at Middle Eastern grocery stores.
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups (960ml) reserved chicken broth, the rice must cook in the spiced chicken broth, this is what flavours every grain

For garnish

• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Step by step

1. Simmer the chicken. Place seasoned chicken, halved onion, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and salt in a large pot. Cover with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook covered for 30–35 minutes until the chicken is tender. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain and reserve all the broth.
2. Roast the vegetables. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange the eggplant and potato slices and cauliflower florets on two baking sheets. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and a pinch of 7 spice. Roast 20–25 minutes until golden and just tender. Set aside.The vegetables can be roasted up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated, this is the best way to break up the preparation.
3. Season the rice. Combine the drained soaked rice with the 7 spice, turmeric, cumin and salt. Toss well until every grain is coated.
4. Layer the pot. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Arrange the tomato slices in a single layer at the base, they prevent sticking and create the bottom of the reveal. Layer the roasted eggplant, then the cauliflower, then the potato slices. Arrange the chicken pieces evenly over the vegetables. Pour the spiced rice over the chicken in an even layer. Press down gently with the back of a spoon to compact everything slightly.Press each layer down gently as you build, compacted layers hold together better during the flip. Loose layers collapse.
5. Cook. Pour 4 cups of hot reserved chicken broth over the rice, it should just cover the rice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce to the lowest heat, cover tightly and cook for 25–30 minutes until all the broth is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. Remove from heat. Leave covered and undisturbed for 10–15 minutes.The 10–15 minute rest is essential, it allows the steam to finish the rice and the layers to set and firm slightly before the flip. Do not skip it.
6. The flip. Run a thin spatula or knife around the inside edge of the pot to loosen any stuck layers. Place a large round serving platter face-down over the pot. Hold the platter and pot firmly together with oven mitts. In one confident, decisive motion, flip the pot upside down onto the platter. Leave the pot in place for 2–3 minutes, tap the base of the pot lightly a few times. Lift the pot slowly and carefully. Scatter the toasted nuts and fresh parsley over the top. Serve immediately with plain yogurt and a tomato and cucumber salad alongside.

The flip, the moment the table comes alive

There is something ceremonial about the maqluba flip that no other dish in the Middle Eastern repertoire quite matches. Palestinian families describe the moment before the pot is lifted as one of collective held breath and the moment the layers hold their shape as something close to applause.

Do it confidently and all at once, hesitation mid-flip produces a lopsided result. The resting time before the flip, the loosening of the edges, and the 2–3 minutes of leaving the pot in place are the three things that separate a clean reveal from a scattered mess. Do all three and the layers will hold.

Make it ahead

Claire’s note

Maqluba cannot be fully made ahead, it must be cooked and flipped fresh. But the preparation can be split across two days to make the day-of manageable. Day one: simmer the chicken and reserve the broth, roast the vegetables, refrigerate everything separately. Day two: season the rice, layer and cook, 45 minutes of active time. Leftovers keep refrigerated for 4–5 days and reheat well in a pan with a splash of broth or water. The flavour is still excellent the next day though the beautiful layered structure of the flip won’t be visible.

Serve with

Maqluba upside down rice is traditionally served with a bowl of plain yogurt for spooning over the rice and a simple Arab salad of diced tomatoes, cucumber and parsley dressed with lemon and olive oil. The coolness of the yogurt against the warm spiced rice is the classic and correct pairing. For everything else on the Palestinian and Levantine table the complete Middle Eastern recipes collection and the Lebanese recipes guide have it all.

Add maqluba upside down rice to your weekly meal planner, prep the vegetables and broth the day before, cook and flip fresh on the night. And for more recipes, follow us on Pinterest.

Maqluba Upside Down Rice

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• Author: Claire Bennett
• Total Time: 110 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x

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Description

A Palestinian celebration dish of spiced chicken, roasted vegetables, and fragrant rice, flipped onto a platter to reveal its beautiful layers.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 lbs (900g) bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
• 1 teaspoon 7 spice
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 medium yellow onion, halved
• 3 cardamom pods, cracked
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups (1.4 liters) water
• 1 large eggplant, sliced into ½-inch rounds
• 2 medium potatoes, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
• ½ small cauliflower, cut into florets
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced into rounds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups (400g) basmati rice, rinsed and soaked
• 1½ teaspoons Lebanese 7 spice (baharat)
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups (960ml) reserved chicken broth
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

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Instructions

1. Simmer the chicken: Place seasoned chicken, halved onion, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and salt in a pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil, then simmer for 30–35 minutes. Remove chicken and reserve broth.
2. Roast the vegetables: Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Arrange eggplant, potatoes, and cauliflower on baking sheets, brush with olive oil, and season. Roast for 20–25 minutes until golden.
3. Season the rice: Combine soaked rice with 7 spice, turmeric, cumin, and salt. Toss well.
4. Layer the pot: Drizzle olive oil into a pot. Layer tomatoes, then roasted vegetables, followed by chicken. Pour rice over chicken and press down gently.
5. Cook: Pour hot chicken broth over rice. Bring to boil, then reduce to low heat, cover, and cook for 25–30 minutes. Let rest for 10–15 minutes.
6. The flip: Loosen edges of pot, then flip onto a serving platter. Top with nuts and parsley, and serve immediately.

Notes

Maqluba should be made fresh, but vegetables and broth can be prepared in advance to save time.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 80 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Palestinian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 600
• Sugar: 4g
• Sodium: 350mg
• Fat: 22g
• Saturated Fat: 5g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 66g
• Fiber: 5g
• Protein: 30g
• Cholesterol: 90mg