مقلوبة

Season the meat with salt, pepper, allspice, and cinnamon. Brown in a pot with oil for five minutes. Add the diced onion and garlic, cook until softened. Pour in enough water to cover and simmer for thirty minutes until the meat is tender. Reserve the broth.

Slice the eggplants into one-centimetre rounds, salt them for twenty minutes, then pat dry. Peel and slice the potatoes similarly. Fry both in batches in hot oil until golden brown on both sides. These fried vegetables form the dramatic top layer when the dish is flipped.

Arrange the fried potato slices in a single overlapping layer on the bottom of a heavy non-stick pot. Layer the fried eggplant slices on top of the potatoes. Place the cooked meat pieces in an even layer over the eggplant.

Drain the soaked rice and spread it evenly over the meat layer, smoothing the surface. Mix turmeric and cardamom into three cups of the reserved meat broth and pour it carefully over the rice. The liquid should sit about two centimetres above the rice level.

Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to the absolute lowest setting. Cover tightly with a kitchen towel under the lid and cook for thirty minutes without opening. The trapped steam cooks the rice perfectly while the layered structure holds its shape.

Remove from heat and rest covered for fifteen minutes. Place a large serving platter face-down over the pot, then in one confident motion, flip the entire pot upside down onto the platter. Tap the bottom gently and lift the pot to reveal the layered dome.

The maqluba should emerge as a beautiful layered cake with golden potatoes on top, followed by eggplant, meat, and rice. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and serve with cool yogurt on the side. This upside-down rice dish is the pride of Palestinian cuisine.