Upside Down Chicken Rice Food

MAALOUBA (UPSIDE-DOWN RICE)

Steps:

• For the chicken: Heat the oil with the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cardamom and 1 teaspoon pepper over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, carrot and celery; stir to combine. Add the chicken pieces, including the backbone, skin-side down and sear until the skin is golden brown. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt and add 7 cups water to just cover the chicken. Stir in the turmeric and allspice. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 40 minutes.
• Remove the chicken to a platter and strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the vegetables, spices and backbone and set the stock aside.
• For the rice: Meanwhile, add the basmati and short-grain rice to a large bowl and cover with water. Stir in the turmeric and soak for 30 minutes. Strain the rice and discard the water.
• In a Dutch oven or large, heavy pot with a lid, layer the chicken pieces skin-side down, followed by a layer of fried potato slices, a layer of fried eggplant slices and a layer of cauliflower. Add the rice, letting it fall in between the vegetables and chicken. Add the 7 cups of stock until the rice is just covered.
• Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover. Continue to cook until the rice is tender and the liquid has been completely absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest with the lid on for 30 minutes.
• For the salad: Toss the cucumbers, tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl.
• Place a large serving platter or plate over the pot and carefully flip to unmold. Garnish the maalouba with toasted pine nuts, parsley leaves and the red chile . Serve the maalouba with the side salad.

UPSIDE DOWN (MAQLOOBEH)

Steps:

• Place rice in a bowl and leave until grains are white, about 1/2 hr (this step is not necessary).
• Rinse rice until water is clear and then leave to drain in colander.
• Dice onion and fry until golden with first amount of oil in a medium-large size saucepan.
• Add chicken and brown.
• Add 8 cups water and mix.
• Add 1 teaspoon of mixed savoury spices and 1 teaspoon salt.
• Cook for one hour.
• While the chicken is cooking, fry pieces of cauliflower with second measurement of oil.
• Fry until golden (well-cooked) but not burnt.
• Put aside.
• When chicken is ready, sieve stock into bowl and remove the chicken pieces.
• Coat with pinches of salt and mixed spices.
• Brown under grill.
• Get a medium sized pot.
• (I recommend a non-stick one. I've tried this in my stainless steel pot however the bottom and sides get too hot so the outsides turn out burnt - so if your pot has a tendency to do the same then don't use that one!) Sprinkle a fine layer of rice on the bottom to prevent the other ingredients from sticking.
• Place chicken pieces face down in saucepan (be careful that the rice remains below the chicken).
• Place cauliflower pieces into saucepan, pressing it into the holes left by the chicken.
• Add chickpeas in the same way.
• Sprinkle 3/4 teaspoon of spices and 3/4 teaspoon of salt.
• Add rice and spread evenly.
• Carefully and slowly pour the chicken stock on top to cover rice.
• Cook on stove-top until rice is cooked.
• Quickly flip the saucepan upside down onto a large serving tray (preferably round).
• Rub and cool down top of pot with a wet cloth.
• Carefully remove the pot, trying not to let the Upside Down collapse! (Don't worry if it does, it happens even to the experts!).
• Traditionally all people eat from the one big tray, each person eating from strictly in front of him, but it can also be served onto plates at the table.
• Eat with small bowls of yoghurt.

UPSIDE DOWN (MAQLUBA)

Steps:

• Bring to a boil the water, onion, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, garam masala, salt, and pepper in a large pot. Add the lamb; reduce the heat to low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Separate the lamb from the liquid and set aside. Transfer the liquid to a bowl.
• While the lamb mixture simmers, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Fry the eggplant slices in the hot oil, assuring the pieces do not touch, until brown on both sides; remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Use the same procedure to fry the zucchini and the cauliflower. Cook the broccoli in the oil until hot and remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Layer the lamb into the bottom of the large pot. Arrange the eggplant, zucchini, broccoli, and cauliflower on top of the lamb in layers. Pour the rice over the meat and vegetables, shaking the pot gently to allow the rice to settle into the dish. Pour the reserved cooking liquid from the lamb over the mixture until it is completely covered. Add water if needed.
• Cover the pot and simmer over low heat until the rice is soft and the liquid is absorbed, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the lid from the pot. Place a large platter over the pot and flip the pot so the dish is "upside down" on the platter. Serve with yogurt on the side.