Palestinian · Dinner

Palestinian upside-down chicken and rice (maqluba)

Name: Palestinian upside-down chicken and rice (maqluba)
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 35 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Palestinian
Ingredients: 2 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs; 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided; 1 teaspoon ground allspice; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed; 1 bay leaf; 6 cups water; 1 medium eggplant, cut in 3/4-inch rounds; 1 small cauliflower, cut in large florets; 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 2 large tomatoes, cut in 1/3-inch rounds; 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes; 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds; Plain yogurt, for serving

Spiced chicken, roasted eggplant and cauliflower, and fragrant rice layered in one pot, rested, then inverted for a dramatic shared dinner.

About 2 hr 35 minTotal

About 2 hr 15 minActive

$$$Cost

AdvancedDifficulty

Makes 8 servings

Equipment

Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Best value covered pot
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Use a hot sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl for the covered phase.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched capacity, lid fit, oven rating, heat retention, maneuverability, care, stable model identity, and usefulness outside bread baking. Kwilt has not baked with this pot.
Lodge Essential Enamel 6-Quart Dutch Oven · EC6D43: The six-quart capacity, heavy cast-iron body, and fitted lid create the enclosed high-heat environment used by these bread methods while remaining useful beyond baking. Trade-off: At more than thirteen pounds it is demanding to move when hot, and the enamel needs gentler utensils and hand washing.
Another workable path: Bake on a preheated heavy sheet pan under an inverted oven-safe metal bowl, keeping face and hands clear when removing the hot cover.
Sources
Lodge six-quart Essential Enamel specifications
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 8 servings

2 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 bay leaf
6 cups water
1 medium eggplant, cut in 3/4-inch rounds
1 small cauliflower, cut in large florets
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large tomatoes, cut in 1/3-inch rounds
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
Plain yogurt, for serving

Instructions

Put chicken in a pot with 1 teaspoon salt, half the allspice, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, pepper, cardamom, bay, and water. Simmer gently 25 to 30 minutes until 165°F; transfer chicken and strain 3 cups broth. Keep broth hot.
Heat oven to 450°F. Salt eggplant and cauliflower with 1 teaspoon salt, coat with 1/4 cup oil, and roast on separate areas of a sheet pan 25 to 30 minutes until browned and nearly tender. Drain soaked rice thoroughly.
Brush a with remaining oil. Fit tomato slices across the bottom, then layer chicken, eggplant, and cauliflower compactly. Mix rice with remaining spices and salt and spread it evenly without stirring the lower layers.
Pour exactly 3 cups hot broth slowly over the rice. Bring just to a simmer, cover tightly, cook on low 35 minutes, and remove from heat. Rest covered 20 minutes so rice firms and releases from the pot.
Run a thin spatula around the edge. Wearing oven mitts, clamp a rimmed platter over the pot and invert in one decisive motion away from children and bystanders. Wait 2 minutes before lifting the pot; top with almonds and serve with yogurt.

PalestinePalestinian household and celebration cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Maqluba means upside down and names a Palestinian layered pot of spiced rice, chicken, and browned vegetables whose defining moment is a rested, decisive inversion onto a platter.

Maqluba means upside down and belongs here as the batch's sole project dish. Roasting rather than deep-frying the vegetables lowers the active and oil burden, but measured broth, a tight pot, a full rest, and a careful hot-pot inversion cannot be skipped. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Retain one culturally important project, reduce deep-frying through high-heat roasting, and expose rather than hide the exact-liquid and inversion demands.

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