Eggplant Maqluba with Meat

Ingredients

• 1 kilo lamb or veal from the thigh or shoulder, cut into large pieces (with the bone)
• 1 onion and seasonings for boiling the meat
• 2 onions, diced
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp seven-spice
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 cups long-grain basmati rice
• 2 large eggplants
• tomato

Method

1. Place the large bone-in meat pieces in a pot over the heat without adding anything, and stir until they change color.
2. Cover with water and let it come to a boil, then skim off any foam that appears on the surface.
3. Add the onion and seasonings for boiling the meat, lower the heat, cover the pot, and leave the meat for 2 hours or until fully cooked.
   Timers: 120 min
4. When the meat is cooked, drain it from the broth and set the broth aside.
5. Put 1/4 cup oil in a pot and add the diced onion, stirring until it turns a deep brown color.
6. Add the meat broth (4 cups broth for 2 cups basmati rice).
7. Let it boil for 10 minutes until the broth takes on the dark color of the onion.
   Timers: 10 min
8. Strain the broth to remove the onion pieces.
9. Return the broth to the pot, add the salt and spices, and stir.
10. Earlier, soak the basmati rice for half an hour in hot water, then rinse and drain it. Also peel the eggplants, cut them into slices, sprinkle with salt, and leave them for 1 hour to remove excess moisture. Drain and pat dry, then fry in plenty of hot oil. The rice and eggplant are now ready for assembling the maqluba in the pot.
    Timers: 60 min
11. In a suitable nonstick pot, arrange tomato slices on the bottom to cover it completely. Distribute the boiled meat over the tomato, then a little rice, then slices of fried eggplant, then rice again, then eggplant, and finally a layer of rice on top.
12. Pour the broth with the spices we prepared earlier over it, making sure the liquid stays about 3 cm below the top layer of rice (do not drown it in water).
13. Cover the pot and leave it for 45 minutes over medium heat (the heat should not be too low, so the rice that is not submerged cooks properly).
    Timers: 45 min
14. Turn off the heat after 45 minutes, and wait about 15 minutes before opening the pot so it settles completely, then invert it onto a large serving platter.
    Timers: 45 min, 15 min
15. Garnish the eggplant maqluba with meat as desired.
16. For more from Amir, here is Baked Kofta and Potato Tray
17. Click the link to make Meat Tray with Peppers, Tomatoes, and Onions
18. Click the link to make Fried Stuffed Intestines the Amir way as well