Maqlooba

Preparation time  :  40 minutes
Cooking time       :  1 hour
Serves                 :  4 members

Description:

An Arabic style one pot rice dish made with chicken, vegetables and rice together. Maqlooba in Arabic means un side up. This dish is called so as it’s presented up side down before serving. There are many variations of this very same dish. I have shared the Saudi Arabia style being loyal my bahu dear who calls the nation home. This rice preparation was made by bahu dear where I was lucky to relish this awesome guilty culprit.

Ingredients for rice

Ingredients for vegetables

Ingredients for tomato paste

Other ingredients

Method

• Heat oil in a large pan. Add chopped onion, chopped capsicum and crushed garlic with salt to taste. Sauté to brown. Add chicken with skin and brown well. Top with crushed pepper powder, saudi spice powder, dried lemon and spring onions chopped. Sauté well. Add water and cook to done.
• Shallow fry cubed brinjal, red capsicum, green capsicum, potato, tomato rounds, onions rings and cauliflower flower let’s to golden brown and keep aside. Sprinkle salt over the fried vegetables.
• Remove cooked chicken and add washed basmati rice – 3 cups. Cook to 1/2 done.
• Grind 3 tomatoes. Heat one tablespoon of oil and sauté the ground tomatoes, salt, Saudi spice mix – 1/2 teaspoon and salt to taste. Sauté until it gets to a thick paste consistency.
• Divide half cooked rice into two portions. To one portion add tomato paste and mix well. To the other 1/2 add turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon and mix well.
• Take a deep non stick vessel. Lay the bottom with fried vegetables. Then top it with chicken pieces and press well. Add the tomato mixed rice and press well. Top with turmeric powder mixed rice and press well. Add one cup of remaining chicken stock. Cook over low heat covered for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and after 10 minutes. Turn the rice vessel over to a large plate and serve hot.

Arabic spice mix