Palestinian · main

Maqluba (Upside-Down Rice with Aubergine and Lamb)

Name: Maqluba (Upside-Down Rice with Aubergine and Lamb)
Prep time: 2 h 35 min
Total time: 3 h 25 min
Cuisine: Palestinian
Ingredients: lamb shoulder roast — 800 g; onion — 120 g; cardamom pods — 400 g; cinnamon — 3 g; bay leaf — 1 g; water — 1200 g; eggplant — 700 g; salt — 15 g; sunflower oil — 368 g; long grain basmati rice — 500 g; ground allspice — 10 g; turmeric — 5 g; freshly ground black pepper — 3 g; pine nuts — 80 g; ghee — 30 g

Maqluba (Upside-Down Rice with Aubergine and Lamb) reads richness 7.7, umami 6.9 and nutty 4.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Palestinian main, about 3 hr 25 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 7.4 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 2.2 / 10
Sour & Bright — 0.5 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 3.4 / 10
Rich & Fat — 9.0 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Richness 7.7 · Umami 6.9 · Nutty 4.4 · Warm Spice 4.3 · Salinity 3.7 · Earthy 3.2 · Floral 3.1 · Allium 2.8 · Sweetness 2.0 · Bitterness 1.6 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Funk & Ferment 1.3 · Fruity 0.8 · Citrus 0.5

What's in it (15)

lamb shoulder roast — 800 g
onion — 120 g
cardamom pods — 400 g
cinnamon — 3 g
bay leaf — 1 g
water — 1200 g
eggplant — 700 g
salt — 15 g
sunflower oil — 368 g
long grain basmati rice — 500 g
ground allspice — 10 g
turmeric — 5 g
freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
pine nuts — 80 g
ghee — 30 g

Time & effort: about 3 hr 25 min (2 hr 35 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 162.7 kcal, 7.3 g protein, 6.9 g fat, 19.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (9 steps)

Put the lamb, onion, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and water in a pot. Bring to a simmer, skim, and cook 90 minutes until tender. Strain and keep the broth — you need 900 ml of it, and it is what the rice cooks in. Discard the aromatics.
Meanwhile salt the aubergine rounds with 2 teaspoons of the salt and leave 30 minutes to weep, then pat dry.
Heat the sunflower oil to 180°C and fry the aubergine in batches, 3 minutes a side, until deep gold and completely soft. Drain on a rack. Frying, not roasting, is what gives maqluba its silkiness — this is the one step worth the oil.
Toss the drained rice with the allspice, turmeric, black pepper and the remaining salt.
Now build the pot upside down, since it will be inverted. Choose a heavy pot the rice will fill three-quarters. Lay the fried aubergine over the base and up the sides in an overlapping layer, put the lamb pieces on top, then pour in the rice and level it without pressing.
Pour the hot broth gently over the back of a spoon so the layers are not disturbed; it should sit 1.5 cm above the rice. Bring to a boil, then cover, drop to the lowest heat and cook 30 minutes. Take off the heat and rest, still covered, for 20 minutes — this is what lets it hold its shape.
Fry the pine nuts in the ghee for 3 minutes until golden.
Run a knife around the rim, set a large platter over the pot, and turn the whole thing over in one committed movement. Leave the pot in place for 2 minutes, then lift it away. Scatter with the nuts and serve with yoghurt and a chopped salad.
Substitutions: blanched almonds can stand in for the pine nuts.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Kibbeh — Lebanese
Freekeh Soup (Shorbet Freekeh) — Lebanese
Sambousek (Fried Pastry Pockets) — Lebanese
Carapulcra Chinchana — Peruvian
İçli Köfte (Stuffed Bulgur Shells) — Turkish

Keep reading: what richness, umami, nutty mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

See how this dish fits your palate — take the short taste test →

Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.