The hint of rosemary
Maqluba is a traditional Arabic meal served with rice, fried vegetables, chicken, and flavorful spicy broth.
Wash the chicken, soak the rice, salt eggplant. Wash and soak chicken with lemon. Soak rice with salt in hot water to soften for cooking maqluba. Salt eggplant to achieve perfectly fried eggplant texture.
Fry the vegetables. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Pat eggplant dry. Add to hot oil. Chop cauliflower. Add to hot oil. Fry all vegetables until golden brown. Drain excess oil on paper towel lined plates.
Make the chicken broth. Start by sautéing an onion. Add chicken. Add water and your spices. Boil for 15 minutes. Add more water, and more spices. Boil another 15 minutes. Remove chicken. Strain broth through fine mesh strainer into a large bowl.
Prep the maqluba rice. Toast vermicelli noodles with leftover oil from frying vegetables. Drain water from the rice. Mix drained rice with toasted vermicelli noodles. Mix in a little adobo powder for flavor.
Layer maqluba for cooking. Lay chicken on the bottom, skin side down. Top with half of fried vegetables, then 3/4 of rice mixture, then the rest of the vegetables and finally the last 1/4 of rice. Pour broth over the top. Cook for ~2+ hours.
Maqluba flip! The most exciting step. Place a heat proof tray on top of your pot. Hold the tray and bottom of the pot. Flip the pot upside down. Tap the pan so that all the maqluba falls down to the tray. Remove your pot and reveal your maqluba!
Serve maqluba with: 1. Toasted pine nuts on top 2. Plain yogurt 3. Maqluba salad