Palestinian Maklouba Layered Dish (Print)

A fragrant dish of spiced rice, tender chicken, and vegetables cooked together then inverted for serving.

# Components:

→ Chicken

01 - 2.65 lbs bone-in chicken pieces (legs, thighs, or cut-up whole chicken)
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 0.4 inches thick
10 - 1 large onion, sliced
11 - Vegetable oil for frying

→ Spices

12 - 2 teaspoons ground cumin
13 - 2 teaspoons ground coriander
14 - 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
15 - 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
16 - 0.5 teaspoon ground allspice
17 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cardamom
18 - 4 bay leaves

→ Broth

19 - 5 cups chicken stock or water

→ Garnish (optional)

20 - 0.25 cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
21 - 0.25 cup chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Rinse basmati rice thoroughly, then 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 pieces with salt and pepper. Brown chicken on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, add sliced onions and sauté until translucent. Add all spices and bay leaves, stirring for 1 minute until fragrant.
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 brown. Drain on paper towels.
06 - Line the bottom of a large heavy-bottomed pot with fried potato slices. Layer browned chicken pieces on top, then fried cauliflower, followed by drained rice. Press layers gently.
07 - Pour enough reserved broth over rice to just cover, about 4 to 5 cups. Place pot over medium heat until liquid bubbles at edges, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook 35 to 40 minutes without uncovering.
08 - Turn off heat and let rest covered for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove lid, invert pot onto a large serving platter carefully, and lift pot to reveal layered dish.
09 - Sprinkle toasted nuts and chopped parsley over the top. Serve hot, optionally accompanied by yogurt or salad.

# Chef Secrets:

01 -
  • The moment you invert the pot and that entire dish tumbles out intact is pure kitchen magic.
  • Layers of warm spice—cinnamon, cumin, cardamom—create a flavor depth that tastes like hours of work but comes together in just over an hour.
  • It's one pot, one dramatic flip, and six generous servings that feed your whole table.
02 -
  • Do not open the pot to check on things once it starts steaming—I learned this the hard way with a gummy rice layer that took three tries to get right.
  • The inversion is not as scary as it looks once you realize the rice is sticky enough to hold together and a confident, quick motion is actually safer than a slow one.
03 -
  • Toast your pine nuts or almonds in a dry pan right before serving—this takes thirty seconds but makes an enormous difference in their flavor and crunch.
  • Use a pot that's truly heavy-bottomed; it distributes heat evenly and prevents burning on the bottom layer during that long steam.
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