Maqlouba in Arabic literally means “upside down.” I remember one Sunday our family was going on a picnic to the park. But we weren’t going to have hot dogs and hamburgers. A salad was packed and two pots sat waiting, one full with homemade yogurt and the other with maqlouba (still right side up). I was worried we would be the joke of the day when people saw how we ceremoniously flip our pot of rice and eggplant and then eat copious amounts of yogurt with it. Our favorite spot was taken by a large family of Italians who had even larger pots bubbling over with pasta and tomato sauce. What a beautiful sight! A family cooking their traditional food and celebrating their culture, not embarrassed the least bit. My mother flipped her perfectly cooked maqlouba and we shared our food with our Italian neighbors. I learned a valuable life lesson that day: I share and celebrate the food of my heritage every chance I get and think nothing of taking pots to a picnic anymore.

8–12 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large eggplants
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 4 lb lamb (from leg), cut into large cubes
• 4 onions, sliced thin
• 2 celery stalks, coarsely sliced
• 1 leek, sliced (whites only)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cardamom pods, bruised slightly
• 4 allspice berries (whole)
• 6 cups cold water
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 cups baby carrots (or 4 large carrots, sliced)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 5 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 cups white basmati rice, presoaked and drained
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• ½ tsp turmeric
• some hot water, if needed
• ½ cup pine nuts, ½ cup almonds and ½ cup pistachios, toasted, to garnish
• ½ cup fresh pomegranate seeds
• a few sprigs of mint, to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Peel the eggplants and slice lengthwise, approximately ½ inch thick.
3. Brush both sides of the eggplant slices with ¼ cup of the vegetable oil and lay on a baking sheet in one layer.
4. Roast the eggplant on the lowest rack until golden brown on both sides.
5. Remove the eggplant from the oven and set aside to cool.
6. In a large pot, heat ¼ cup of oil and brown the meat all over.
7. Take a handful of the sliced onions and sauté for 1 minute.
8. Add the celery, leek, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, cardamom, and allspice berries.
9. Pour the cold water to cover the meat and allow to come to a boil, skimming off the scum on the surface.
10. Lower the heat to medium and cover to cook the meat until tender, for about 40 minutes.
11. Strain the stock into another pot using a colander.
12. Reserve the meat aside. Discard all of the vegetables.
13. While the meat is cooking, in a large frying pan heat ¼ cup vegetable oil and fry the remaining onions until golden and sweet.
14. Remove and drain on paper towels.
15. In another pan, heat the butter and sauté the carrots until lightly golden, for about 2 minutes.
16. Remove the carrots, sprinkle with 1 tsp cinnamon and set aside.
17. In a large 8-quart pot, place the eggplants along the bottom and sides of the pot next to each other overlapping slightly, going all the way around.
18. Gently place the cooked lamb in the bottom as the first layer.
19. Add the carrots, then scatter the fried onions over.
20. Mix the cinnamon, allspice and turmeric into the drained rice and spoon over the carrot layer.
21. Lastly, ladle the reserved stock to cover the rice completely. You might need to top it up with more water to cover the rice by 2 inches.
22. Bring to a boil.
23. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and leave until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed. It will take about 20 minutes.
24. Remove from the heat and leave the maqlouba covered for at least 30 minutes to rest before serving.
25. Take a large platter bigger than the pot and turn the pot upside down on it.
26. Very slowly lift off the pot taking care not to topple the layers. Garnish with all of the toasted nuts, pomegranate seeds and mint. Serve immediately with cool yogurt and the Arabian Garden Salad.