Palestinian Maklouba Layered Dish (Printable)

A fragrant dish layering spiced rice, cauliflower, vegetables, and chicken cooked together and inverted before serving.

# What Goes In:

→ Chicken

01 - 2.65 lb 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 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
15 - 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
16 - ½ teaspoon ground allspice
17 - ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
18 - 4 bay leaves

→ Broth

19 - 5 cups chicken stock or water

→ Garnish (optional)

20 - ¼ cup toasted pine nuts or slivered almonds
21 - ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

# How to Make It:

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 with salt and black pepper. Brown chicken pieces on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove from pot and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, add sliced onions and sauté until translucent. Stir in cumin, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, allspice, cardamom, and bay leaves; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Return chicken to the pot, add chicken stock or water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove chicken and reserve the 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 (at least 5 liters) with fried potato slices. Layer browned chicken on top, followed by fried cauliflower, then drained rice. Press gently to compact.
07 - Pour enough reserved broth over the rice to cover (approximately 4 to 5 cups). Place pot over medium heat. When bubbling appears at the edges, reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook undisturbed for 35 to 40 minutes.
08 - Turn off heat and let the pot rest, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes to allow the flavors to settle.
09 - Remove the lid and place a large serving platter over the pot. Quickly invert the pot to unmold the dish. Gently lift pot off. Garnish with toasted nuts and chopped parsley. Serve warm with optional yogurt or salad.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The moment you flip this dish and that golden dome of rice appears is honestly worth every minute of prep work.
  • It feels fancy enough for company but actually comes together in under two hours if you plan ahead.
  • One pot means less cleanup, and the flavors meld together in ways that make leftovers somehow even better the next day.
02 -
  • The frying step is non-negotiable; boiling the vegetables instead creates a soggy, disappointing result that tastes nothing like real maklouba.
  • Your pot matters more than you'd think—heavy-bottomed prevents burning on the bottom, and the lid must seal tightly or the rice won't cook properly.
  • If the inversion goes wrong, just serve it directly from the pot and call it a deconstructed version; nobody cares once they taste it, I promise.
03 -
  • Don't rinse the rice after soaking—that residual starch helps it hold together during the inversion and absorb broth properly.
  • If your broth evaporates too quickly, your rice will be undercooked; listen for a gentle sizzle, not aggressive bubbling, during the final simmer.
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