Maqluba Halabiya (Aleppo Upside-Down Rice)
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Lamb, cubed — 500 g (1 lb)
- Long-grain rice, soaked 20 minutes — 400 g (2 cups)
- Eggplant, sliced and fried — 1
- Cauliflower, cut into florets and fried — 1
- Carrots, sliced — 2
- Onion, sliced — 1
- Ground cinnamon — 1 tsp
- Ground allspice — 1 tsp
- Vegetable oil — 45 ml (3 tbsp)
- Water or lamb stock — 1 L (4 cups)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
Method
- Brown the lamb in oil with the onion, then season with cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper.
- Add water or stock and simmer for 30 minutes until the lamb is tender; reserve the cooking liquid.
- In the same pot, layer the fried eggplant, cauliflower and carrots, then the lamb, then the soaked rice on top.
- Pour over enough reserved cooking liquid to cover the rice by 2 cm (3/4 inch).
- Cover and simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes until the rice is cooked and liquid absorbed.
- Rest for 10 minutes, then invert the pot carefully onto a large serving platter.
Introduction: Maqluba, meaning ‘upside-down’, is a theatrical dish beloved across Syria: layers of rice, vegetables and meat are cooked together then flipped dramatically onto a serving platter at the table, a moment of pride in many Syrian households.
Cultural Background: Maqluba, meaning ‘upside-down’, is a theatrical dish beloved across Syria: layers of rice, vegetables and meat are cooked together then flipped dramatically onto a serving platter at the table, a moment of pride in many Syrian households.
Tips: Arrange the vegetables in a decorative pattern at the base of the pot since this becomes the top once flipped. Let the pot rest before flipping so the layers hold together.
Variations: Use chicken instead of lamb for a lighter version. Add fried potato slices as an extra vegetable layer.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of water, or in a microwave until piping hot.
FAQs:
Q: Why is it flipped upside down?
A: The layering order is reversed during cooking so that when inverted, the vegetables sit attractively on top.
Q: What if the maqluba falls apart when flipped?
A: It will still taste the same — simply spoon layers back together on the platter.
- Lamb, cubed — 500 g (1 lb)
- Long-grain rice, soaked 20 minutes — 400 g (2 cups)
- Eggplant, sliced and fried — 1
- Cauliflower, cut into florets and fried — 1
- Carrots, sliced — 2
- Onion, sliced — 1
- Ground cinnamon — 1 tsp
- Ground allspice — 1 tsp
- Vegetable oil — 45 ml (3 tbsp)
- Water or lamb stock — 1 L (4 cups)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
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