Maqluba (upside-down chicken and rice)
The Palestinian showstopper: spiced chicken, roasted cauliflower and rice cooked in layers, then flipped onto a platter like a savory cake.
- 110 min total
- 50 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 6
- About $2.96 a serving
- 540 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 6 servings.
- 2 cups basmati rice
- 1 cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into large pieces
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 tomatoes, sliced into rounds
- 3 cups chicken broth
- ⅓ cup almonds, sliced and toasted (optional)
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (optional)
From your pantry
- ¼ cup olive oil, divided
- 2½ tsp salt, divided
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
Each serving has about 540 calories, 38 g protein, 59 g carbs and 16 g fat, and costs about $2.96 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No basmati rice? Jasmine rice or long-grain white rice works.
- No boneless chicken thighs? Chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins work.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No tomatoes? Roma tomatoes work.
- No chicken broth? Vegetable broth or bone broth works.
- No plain Greek yogurt? Plain yogurt or sour cream works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the rice until the water runs clear, then cover it with cold water and let it soak 20 minutes.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Timer: 20 min
the oven to 450°F. the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of oil and ½ teaspoon of salt on a and 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply .
Preheat. Preheating means turning the oven on before you start, so it’s fully hot when the food goes in. Food that starts in a cold oven cooks unevenly and doesn’t brown the same.
How you’ll know: The oven beeps or its light clicks off, usually 10 to 15 minutes after you turn it on.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Sheet pan. A sheet pan is a flat metal baking tray with a low rim all the way around. The rim catches juices, and the wide surface lets food spread out and brown.
How you’ll know: Everything fits in one layer with a little space between the pieces.
Roast. Roasting means cooking in a hot oven, around 400°F to 450°F, usually spread out on a sheet pan. The dry heat browns the outside and brings out sweetness, especially in vegetables.
How you’ll know: The edges are browned and a little crisp, and a fork slides easily into the thickest piece.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Timer: 23 min
the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, pepper and 1½ teaspoons of salt together. the chicken with half of it.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Food safety: Wash your hands, the board and the knife with hot soapy water after touching raw meat, and don’t rinse raw chicken in the sink.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a over medium-high. the chicken 3 minutes per side, then the onion for 5 minutes, and move both to a plate.
Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is a heavy pot, usually enameled cast iron, with a tight-fitting lid. It holds heat evenly, so it’s great for soups, stews and anything that simmers a long time.
How you’ll know: Any large, heavy pot with a lid does the same job if you don’t have one.
Brown. Browning means cooking until the outside turns brown, which is where a lot of savory flavor comes from. Give food room and time without stirring, or it steams and stays gray.
How you’ll know: The food looks brown rather than gray, and the kitchen smells toasty and savory.
Medium-high heatTimer: 11 min
Take the pot off the heat and rub the bottom with the last tablespoon of oil. Lay the tomato slices over the bottom, then layer on the chicken and onions, then the cauliflower.
Dolly’s tip: The tomatoes end up on top after the flip, so make that layer neat.the rice, it with the rest of the spice mix, and spread it over the top. Slowly pour the broth down the side until it covers the rice by about ½ inch.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Bring it over medium-high.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Medium-high heat
Cover, turn the heat to low and cook 35 minutes, until the rice is tender and the chicken reads 165°F.
Low heatTimer: 35 min
Food safety: Chicken and turkey are done at 165°F in the thickest part. A thermometer is the only sure check. Without one, cut into the thickest piece: it should be white all the way through, with no pink.
Turn off the heat and let it , covered, for 10 minutes.
Rest. Resting means letting cooked meat sit for a few minutes before you cut it. It keeps cooking gently, and more of the juice stays in the meat instead of running onto the board.
How you’ll know: Loosely covered with foil, it stays hot, and very little juice runs out when you slice it.
Timer: 10 min
Set a large platter upside down over the pot. Holding both tightly with oven mitts, flip it in one confident move, wait a minute, then lift the pot away.
Dolly’s tip: Confident beats careful here. If a bit sticks, spoon it back on top and nobody will know.Scatter the almonds over and serve with the yogurt.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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