Fragrant Palestinian Maklouba (Print Version)

Layered spiced rice, cauliflower, and tender chicken blend in a fragrant Middle Eastern dish.

# Components:

→ Chicken

01 - 2.6 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (legs, thighs, or a whole chicken cut up)
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Rice

05 - 2 cups basmati rice
06 - 1 tablespoon salt
07 - Water for soaking

→ Vegetables

08 - 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
09 - 2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced about 0.4 inch thick
10 - 1 large onion, sliced
11 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ Spices

12 - 2 teaspoons ground cumin
13 - 2 teaspoons ground coriander
14 - 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
15 - 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
16 - ½ teaspoon ground allspice
17 - ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
18 - 4 bay leaves

→ Broth

19 - 5 cups chicken stock or water

→ Garnish (optional)

20 - ¼ cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
21 - ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Rinse basmati rice thoroughly. Soak in cold water with 1 tablespoon salt for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and black pepper. Brown chicken on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, add sliced onion and cook until translucent. Stir in cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, allspice, cardamom, and bay leaves; sauté for 1 minute.
04 - Return chicken to the pot. Add chicken stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and reserve broth.
05 - Heat vegetable oil in a deep pan. Fry cauliflower florets and potato slices in batches until golden. Drain on paper towels.
06 - In a large heavy-bottomed pot, arrange fried potato slices to cover the bottom. Layer browned chicken pieces, then fried cauliflower, and finally drained rice on top. Press gently.
07 - Pour enough reserved broth over rice to just cover (approximately 4–5 cups). Place pot on medium heat. When bubbling appears at edges, lower to low heat, cover tightly, and cook for 35–40 minutes without uncovering.
08 - Turn off heat and allow to rest, covered, for 10–15 minutes.
09 - Remove lid, place a large serving platter over the pot, and carefully invert to unmold the layered dish. Remove pot gently. Garnish with toasted pine nuts or almonds and chopped parsley. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a complete meal in one pot—chicken, rice, and vegetables all cook together in their own fragrant broth, so there's minimal cleanup.
  • The inversion is genuinely thrilling every single time, and it never gets old.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day as the spices deepen and meld.
02 -
  • Don't uncover the pot while it cooks—steam is doing essential work, and lifting the lid lets heat escape and disrupts the cooking entirely.
  • Use a truly heavy-bottomed pot because thin pots create hot spots that burn the rice layer touching the bottom, and burnt rice will stick to the pot and ruin the inversion.
03 -
  • Toast your spices in a dry pan for 30 seconds before adding them to the onions—this wakes up their essential oils and deepens the entire dish's flavor.
  • The inverted rice layer becomes slightly crispy from contact with the pot, creating a subtle textural contrast that regular rice dishes don't have, so embrace the bottom layer as your prize.
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