Maqluba
Bone-in chicken pieces, basmati rice and potato come together in this Middle Eastern chicken β 65 minutes, 6 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and large pot. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (6)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Rinse the rice and leave it to soak in cold water for 30 minutes while you prepare everything else.
- Put the chicken in a pot with the halved onion, garlic, allspice, cinnamon, half the cumin and turmeric, cover with water and simmer for about 35 minutes until cooked through and the juices run clear, then lift out the chicken and reserve the strained broth.
- Slice the eggplant and potato into rounds, season, and fry in the oil until deeply golden on both sides, then drain on paper towels.
- Arrange the chicken in the base of a heavy pot, layer the fried eggplant and potato over it, lay sliced tomato on top and finally spread the drained rice in an even layer, seasoning the rice with the remaining cumin, salt and pepper.
- Pour in enough hot reserved broth to sit just above the rice, bring to a boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for about 30 to 35 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.
- Let the pot rest off the heat for 10 minutes, then place a large platter over the top and confidently invert the whole thing so it turns out as a standing cake, lifting the pot away gently to reveal the layers.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet Β· Large pot Β· Saucepan
What to serve with Maqluba
Tips & common questions
How long does Maqluba take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 6 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Maqluba is an original Middle Eastern recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Malta - Qrendi - Misrah tal-Maqluba - Il-Maqluba 13 ies.jpg by Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.