Delicious Maqluba with Lamb Recipe
The Delicious Maqluba with Lamb Recipe is rich, flavorful and beautifully layered. Maqluba means “upside down” because the pot flips onto a serving platter before eating.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lamb pieces
- 3 cups basmati rice
- 1 large eggplant sliced
- 2 potatoes sliced
- 1 cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 cups lamb broth
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- Chopped parsley for garnish
- Toasted almonds for garnish
Instructions
Wash the Rice
- Place basmati rice into a bowl. Wash several times until water becomes clear and less cloudy completely.
Soak the Rice
- Cover rice with water and let it soak for thirty minutes. This helps create fluffy cooked rice texture.
Cook the Lamb
- Place lamb pieces into a large pot. Add onion, bay leaves, salt and enough water to cover completely.
Simmer Until Tender
- Cook lamb over medium heat for one hour until tender. Remove foam from the surface during cooking carefully.
Save the Broth
- Remove cooked lamb from the pot carefully. Strain and save the flavorful broth for cooking the rice later.
Fry the Vegetables
- Heat oil inside a frying pan. Fry eggplant, potatoes and cauliflower until lightly golden and slightly tender.
Season the Lamb
- Mix turmeric, allspice, cinnamon and black pepper together. Rub some spices over the cooked lamb pieces evenly.
Prepare the Pot
- Grease the bottom of a clean cooking pot lightly. This helps prevent sticking during cooking and flipping later.
Layer the Vegetables
- Arrange fried potatoes, eggplant and cauliflower evenly inside the pot to create beautiful colorful layers below.
Add the Lamb
- Place cooked lamb pieces over the vegetables carefully. Spread them evenly throughout the pot for balanced flavor.
Add the Rice
- Drain soaked rice and spread it over the lamb layer carefully. Sprinkle remaining spices evenly across the rice.
Pour the Broth
- Slowly pour warm lamb broth into the pot. The broth should just cover the rice layer completely inside.
Cook the Maqluba
- Cover the pot tightly and cook on low heat for forty minutes until rice becomes fluffy and fully cooked.
Rest Before Flipping
- Turn off the heat and let the maqluba rest ten minutes. This helps keep layers firm before serving.
Flip and Serve
- Place a large serving platter over the pot carefully. Flip quickly and lift the pot slowly to reveal layers.
Garnish Beautifully
- Top the maqluba with parsley and toasted almonds. Serve warm and enjoy the rich homemade flavors together.
Notes
- Use lamb shoulder for tender meat.
- Soak rice for fluffier texture.
- Fry vegetables lightly, not too dark.
- Add carrots for extra sweetness.
- Use chicken instead of lamb if preferred.
- Keep heat low while cooking rice.
- Let maqluba rest before flipping.
- Toast nuts for richer garnish flavor.
- Add saffron for beautiful rice color.
- Serve with yogurt for balance.