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Palestinian · Levantine

Maqluba

Non-vegetarian

مقلوبة · maqlūba

Layers of roasted aubergine and cauliflower, spiced rice and chicken cooked together in one pot, then flipped onto a platter in a tall, golden dome.

Maqluba is a Palestinian rice dish from Palestine, ready in about 2 hours 15 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on, eggplant and cauliflower. It serves 6 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
A serving of Maqluba
Photo: Arafataslan / Wikimedia Commons · public-domain
Prep
30 min
Cook
1 h 30 min
Rest
15 min
Total
2 h 15 min
Serves
6
Level
Intermediate
Calories
762

Ingredients

6 servings

Broth

Vegetables

Rice

To serve

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Put the chicken, water, onion (opens in a new tab), cinnamon (opens in a new tab), cardamom (opens in a new tab), bay and salt in a pot. Bring to the boil, skim, and simmer until the chicken is tender. Strain and keep the broth.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile toss the aubergine (opens in a new tab) and cauliflower (opens in a new tab) with the oil and roast at 220 °C, turning once, until golden and soft.

  3. Step 3

    Drain the rice and toss with the allspice (opens in a new tab), turmeric (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab). In a deep, heavy pot, layer the tomato (opens in a new tab) slices, then the chicken, then the vegetables, and finally the rice, pressing gently.

    • 8 min

  4. Step 4

    Pour over enough hot broth to cover the rice by 1.5 cm (about 800 ml). Bring to the boil, then cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.

    • 30 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within 1 hour.

  5. Step 5

    Take the pot off the stove and leave it covered for 15 minutes so the layers settle. Place a large platter over the pot, flip confidently and lift the pot away. Scatter with pine nuts (opens in a new tab) and serve with yogurt (opens in a new tab).

    • 2 min
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Palestine · Commonly attributedStrongly associated with Palestinian cooking and also made in Jordan, Syria and Iraq.Also popular in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, IraqMore food from Palestine
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Rice dishes · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Roasted
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, savoury, mild
Diet
No gluten ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Without the optional extras: Dairy-free, No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · One-pot
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Eggplant · Cauliflower · Basmati rice · Onion · Cinnamon
Techniques
Roasting · Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom yogurt
  • Contains, can be adapted: Tree nutsfrom pine nuts

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

762 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 673 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 21%
  • Carbohydrate 35%
  • Fat 44%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy762 kcal113 kcal
Protein38.9 g5.8 g
Carbohydrate66.8 g9.9 g
Net carbohydrate60.4 g9 g
Sugars6.5 g1 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre6.3 g0.9 g
Fat37.3 g5.5 g
Saturated fat9 g1.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol125 mg19 mg
Sodium931 mg138 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
972 mg
Calcium
103 mg
Iron
5.5 mg
Magnesium
87 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
87 µg
Vitamin C
52 mg
Vitamin D
0.3 µg
Vitamin B12
0.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
344 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: pine nuts, yogurt.
  • Basmati rice: Generic long-grain white rice (FDC 168877); basmati has very similar composition.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Tap the top and sides of the pot before lifting it off to help the layers release.

Common mistakes

  • Skipping the rest — the dome collapses if flipped straight from the heat.

Serve with

  • Serve with plain yogurt and a chopped cucumber-tomato salad.

Food safety

  • Cooked rice must be cooled quickly and refrigerated within an hour.

Storage

  • Keeps 2 days in the fridge.

Reheating

  • Reheat covered with a splash of water until piping hot.

Variations

  • Lamb maqluba: Made with lamb on the bone and often with fried potatoes as well as aubergine.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in step 1

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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