Ingredients
- 2 whole chickens, skinned and quartered (or 8 pieces chicken thighs)
- 3 1/2 cups canola oil, plus 3 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- Salt
- 4 saffron threads
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 5 whole cardamom seeds
- 3 peppercorns
- 5 cups water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 head cauliflower, trimmed into florets
- 1 large eggplant, peeled, cubed, and salted; make sure to place in a colander so water can drain
- 2 onions, halved through the root end and thinly sliced, core still attached
- 4 cups medium grain rice
- 1 cup converted rice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 4 saffron threads
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Toasted pine nuts, for garnish
Directions
In a 5-quart saucepan, brown both sides of the chicken in 1/2 cup canola oil. Once browned, add nutmeg, allspice, cumin powder, salt, saffron, cinnamon sticks, cardamom seeds, and peppercorns.
Add approximately 5 cups of water to just cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Season with freshly ground pepper. Cover and simmer over low-medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the meat begins to pull away from the bone. When done, set the chicken aside and discard the broth.
Fry the cauliflower in a large pot with 3 cups of canola oil until golden brown. Remove and let drain on paper towels. Once that is done, repeat this process with the eggplant. (Note, do not rinse the salt off the eggplant the guest believes that it removes flavor.) Set both the fried cauliflower and eggplant aside. Heat 3 tablespoons of canola oil in the pot that previously contained the chicken. When the oil is hot, not smoking, add the feathered onions and cook until they sweat, about 10 minutes. Add the cooked chicken, bone and all; cook together for a few minutes then cover and let steep with the burner off for 15 minutes. During this time, rinse the rice about 5 or 6 times until the water runs clear. Put the rice in a bowl, stir the spices into the raw rice, and mix well. Add the fried eggplant and cauliflower to the chicken mixture and then put the seasoned rice on top. Pour water into the pot to just barely cover the rice. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover. Approximately 10 minutes later add a 1/4 cup of oil and re-cover. When the water is completely gone the dish is done, about 25 minutes or until rice is cooked.
Remove the pot from the heat and let rest for about 10 to 15 minutes. Place a large serving plate on top of the dish and flip the pot and plate over. Very carefully, lift the pot off the plate and the layered dish is done, add a little garnish and it is ready to serve. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.
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By nowaljamhour_76...
Chalmette, LA
on May 05, 2010
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First off, as another reviewer posted, discarding the chicken broth is a huge no-no.
In my family, we use fried cauliflower, fried eggplant, and fried potatoes (cut them into half-rounds -- no carrots, because they make the whole thing sweet. In addition, we deep fry the onion slices (actually, thin wedges until they're dark brown. This imparts a nice brownish color to the entire dish. Also note that the cauliflower and eggplant should be browned pretty well, or else they will disintegrate as the rice cooks.
As for the chicken, we usually just brown it, add a little water (barely to cover, and simmer until par-cooked. The reason for this is to create a broth to be used as cooking liquid, and the broth is usually supplemented with water. Another valid technique is to deep-fry seasoned chicken pieces (no breading, of course, until nicely browned. No matter how it's made, the chicken usually does end up overcooked in the final dish. For this reason, I highly recommend dark meat for this recipe.
One final note: in my family, we don't use all those spices. We just stick to simple salt and pepper, maybe a little cayenne or crushed red pepper, and some garlic. The onions and cauliflower are very, very strong and will dominate the dish, and I find that the spices just compete rather than complement. In addition, certain spices like saffron and/or turmeric inhibit the absorption of that brown color from the fried onions.
By Jessen16
NJ
on March 26, 2010
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I'm Jordanian, Born and raised on this meal. I wanted to make a suggestion that others may prefer. We Use Lamb Neck or Lamb Shoulder and boil it alone. We also use Basamti(Long Grain Rice Fry that first, and then boil short grained rice with the Long in Plain water or chicken broth. We also fry the cauliflower in batches. We use LOTS OF ONION (Cut in long strips and Almost a whole head of garlic (But we LOVE garlic, so use as desired! Once the rice is halfway cooked, you add it to the meat pot with the onion, cauliflower and garlic. You simmer on low heat for about an hour. Sometimes we also add alittle lemon juice to it, and definitely season the meat, rice, and cauliflower separately before cooking then with salt and pepper. Very easy but time consuming!
By eyeris0_11187455
Edison, NJ
on October 10, 2008
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I agree w/ everyone else. The broth is the most flavorful part of the dish. Any cook will tell you that. If you follow the recipe as stated the chicken will be overcooked and a mess. It does not need to be completely cooked when browning, hence the term 'browning'. Don't forget, it will continue cooking once the makloba is assembled. Also, try adding fried potato slices and carrots as well. Try this dish out it's the best! Serve with finely chopped salad and plain yogurt. DELICIOUS
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