Ultimate Palestinian Maqlouba! الفلسطينية

#Maqlouba #maklouba #paella

Imagine caramelized onions, roasted cauliflower, seared chicken, and garlicky rice cooked together and turned upside down like a layer cake. This traditional dish is most drool worthy!

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RECIPE
2 1/2 cups long grain or basmati rice
1 ½ pounds lamb chops or dark meat chicken with the bones
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp allspice, divided
2 large heads cauliflower
2 large onions, sliced (or 3 medium onions)
Plus 1 medium onion, diced
5 garlic cloves
¼ of a cinnamon stick
2 tsp turmeric, divided
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp. Olive oil with extra for brushing cauliflower
2 tbsp Butter
2 large tomatoes, sliced
Water
8 ounces Greek yogurt for topping (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut up the heads of cauliflower into small florets. Spread them out on a baking sheet and brush each with olive oil. Season with salt, then roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until browned. Set aside. Next take the lamb chops or chicken and season each with a rub of salt, pepper, garlic powder 1 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp allspice. Heat one tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in a large deep pan until melted. Sear the chicken or lamb on both sides just until they have a nice golden color. The meats should browned on the outside, but still not cooked on the inside. You will finish cooking the meats in a broth. Transfer the meats to a deep pot. To the same pot add enough water to cover the meats by about 3 inches. Then add the bay leaves, 1 tsp of allspice, 1 tsp turmeric, the garlic cloves, the cinnamon stick, and the one diced onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Let the mixture boil, then reduce heat and boil for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, heat another tbsp each oil and butter in the skillet, saute the two sliced onions until caramelized.

In a second pot, slice the tomatoes and put the slices in the bottom of the pan. Then top with only ½ cup of the rice. Then using tongs, pile on all of the meats from the broth after having been cooked for 30 minutes. Top the meat with the roasted cauliflower, and then the caramelized onions. Top the whole thing with the remaining 2 cups of rice. Now take 4 ½ cup of the strained broth from the other pot, and cover the rice, meat, and cauliflower mixture with it. Then add the turmeric, 1 tsp allspice, more salt and pepper to taste, and garlic cloves. Wait until the water boils, then let it boil for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat and cook the mixture on low heat for another 45 minutes or until the rice is fluffy. Keep checking to make sure the rice does not dry out. You may have to add more meat stock depending on the strength of your stove. Once the rice is cooked, invert the pot onto a large serving tray after letting the pot of maqluba sit for at least 30 minutes. Scoop servings into individual bowls, and top each with a dollop of Greek yogurt.