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Recipe courtesy of Sawsan Haddad

Jordanian Traditional Maklooba

  • Level: Intermediate
  • Yield: 8 servings
  • Nutritional Analysis
    Per Serving
    Serving Size
    1 of 8 servings
    Calories
    2111
    Total Fat
    154
    Saturated Fat
    21
    Carbohydrates
    114
    Dietary Fiber
    7
    Sugar
    6
    Protein
    67
    Cholesterol
    225
    Sodium
    2027
  • Total: 1 hr 25 min
  • Prep: 40 min
  • Cook: 45 min
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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

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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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 or guest of the show, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. It has not been tested for home use.

Show: Calling All Cooks
Episode: Armenian Pizza/Maklooba

Categories:

Middle Eastern Recipes Fried Rice Fried Chicken Rice Recipes Cauliflower Eggplant Recipes Grain Recipes Chicken Recipes Poultry Main Dish

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8 Reviews
Add Your Review

Nowal J.

First off, as another reviewer posted, discarding the chicken broth is a huge no-no. <br /> <br />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. <br /> <br />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. <br /> <br /> <br />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.

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