Recipe: Makloubeh
Imad Alarnab, chef and owner of, among others, three successful restaurants in Damascus, wrote a wonderful cookbook about Syrian cuisine. We already shared the recipe for a Syrian dukkah salad, and this Makloubeh is another favourite from his book.
Imad’s Syrian Kitchen is not only a cookbook, but also tells the story of Imad Alarnab, from respected citizen to refugee. Barely six years later, after many ups and downs, Alarnab opened Imad’s Syrian Kitchen in London. His impressive story runs like a common thread through this cookbook and tells, among other things, how eating and cooking together connects and brings people closer.
Makloubeh
Makloubeh (also spelled Maqluba, Maqlooba or Maqlouba) is a traditional Middle Eastern dish that is particularly popular in Palestinian, Jordanian and Syrian cuisine. The name “Makloubeh” means “upside down” in Arabic, referring to the unique way in which the dish is served. And conveniently: if your butcher can’t cut the lamb shoulder into small cubes, minced lamb works perfectly well too.
How to make Makloubeh
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
- Wash the rice until the water runs clear and soak it in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, arrange the aubergine slices next to one another on a couple of baking trays. Brush each slice with the olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the aubergine is soft and lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.
- Add the ghee and cumin seeds to a large 23 cm pan and toast for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the lamb shoulder and brown for 5 minutes. Add 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the baharat. Stir the lamb through the spices and spread evenly over the bottom. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool slightly.
- Place the roasted aubergine on top of the lamb; fold half of the slices upwards against the side of the pan to cover it completely (you are essentially forming a little wall so the rice can cook inside it).
- Measure the water into a measuring jug and stir in the remaining baharat, 1 teaspoon salt and 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Drain the rice and add it to the pan. Smooth the rice with the back of a spoon and pour the water into the spoon so the water can gently run down the side of the pan, without disturbing the layers.
- With the pan covered, bring gently to the boil over medium heat, turn the heat right down and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Title: Imad’s Syrian Kitchen
Author: Imad Alarnab
Price: €29.95
Publisher: Good Cook B.V.
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