Mains
ChefOla Faour
Eggplant Maqluba
A wonderful, reliable homemade eggplant maqluba recipe. Here’s a new method to keep the eggplant slices intact — delicious served with yogurt.
Eggplant Maqluba — a recipe many love and our chefs often prepare on the site.
Ingredients
Start here, then move straight into the method.
- 3 long eggplants, sliced (for layering)
- 1 eggplant, cut into cubes
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- Small whole onions (pearl onions)
- 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tsp seven-spice mix
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Lemon zest
- Grated ginger
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp red pepper paste
- 1 tbsp ground cloves
- 1 kg shank meat or another suitable cut, cut into medium pieces and boiled with aromatics
- 2 cups basmati rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes
- Cherry tomatoes — optional
- Blanched almonds and cashews, or as desired
- To make Salam's red pepper paste click on Red Pepper Paste
Method
Follow the cooking sequence without leaving the page.
- Fry the eggplant in plenty of oil until browned, then place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- In the same pan add 1/4 cup olive oil and fry the peeled almonds and cashews until lightly golden, then remove them and set aside.
- In the same pot add the chopped onion and the onion pieces (kuwizaat) and sauté until they brown.
- Remove the onion pieces and set them aside before adding the peppers; sauté until they soften, then add the chopped tomatoes, pepper paste, and salt and stir.
- Cover the pot and let it cook over low heat for five minutes.
- Add the rice and spices and stir, then add 4 cups of meat-poaching broth... after boiling for five minutes reduce the heat, cover the pot, and leave it on low heat.
- Turn off the heat a little before the expected time of doneness.
- Carefully mix the fried eggplant pieces cut into cubes into the rice.
- In another pot arrange eggplant slices along the sides and place the pieces of boiled meat at the bottom with the onion pieces and cherry tomatoes (optional), then add the rice, cover the pot with a cotton cloth, and place the lid on top.
- Return the pot to low heat until the rice grains are well cooked.
- Turn off the heat and invert the eggplant maqluba onto a wide, flat serving platter.
- Garnish with roasted or fried nuts.
- Salam Shaeitu
- To make Salam's red pepper paste click on Red Pepper Paste
Recipe tags
MainsLevantDairy freeGluten freeEgg freeBoiledFriedRiceLambVegetables
Notes and serving ideas
- Red Pepper Paste
