Maklooba - Lamb

Ingredients

• 700 g Lamb Pieces
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks
• 4 pod Green Cardamom
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 4 Allspice Or Black Peppercorn, Whole. Optional but recommended
• 4 Cloves, Whole. Optional but recommended
• 0.5 tsp Turmeric
• 4 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 3.5 tsp Salt
• 1.5 tsp Black Pepper
• 3 cup Water
• 2 Eggplants
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 4 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 2 Large Potatoes
• 0.25 tsp Salt
• 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 Large Onion
• 1 Large Bell Pepper (Red Or Orange, Not Green)
• 0.25 tsp Salt
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 2.5 cup Basmati Rice
• 5.5 cup Total Liquid Combination Of The Meat Broth And Additional Water
• 0.5 cup Slivered Or Blanched Almonds Or Pine Nuts

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C
2. Wash the eggplant and peel it in stripes (leaving some peel on) Cut into slices, about half an inch thick.
3. Wash and peel the potatoes, and cut them into roughly half inch thick circles
4. Place the eggplant and the potato on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt and brush them with 1 Tbsp oil.
5. Bake for 30 minutes.
6. Sear the meat on medium high heat using 2 Tbsp of oil.
7. Add the 3 cups of water and all the whole spices and pressure cook for 10 minutes.
8. If you are not using a pressure cooker, boil on stove top covered on medium heat for 40-60 minutes until tender.
9. Cut the onion and pepper into wings or slices. Cook with the oil in a pan over medium heat for 7 minutes until softened. Set aside.
10. Once the meat is cooked, remove it and set aside. Strain the stock from the whole spices.
11. Add the turmeric, salt, black pepper and tomato paste to the hot stock. Mix well to combine and add additional water to reach the 5.5 cups required. You can use a measuring jug to measure the amount of stock and then add water until you reach the 5.5 cups needed for the recipe.
12. Wash the rice several times until the water runs clear. Drain it and set aside.
13. Cut the tomato into slices.
14. To layer the maqluba, start by adding 2 Tbsps of oil to the bottom of the pot, then add the tomato slices, followed by eggplant, potato, meat, onions and peppers, then the rice.
15. Pat the rice down firmly, then pour the stock on top. Pat down again using a wooden spoon to ensure the stock is fully covering the rice.
16. Place the pot on medium high heat and allow it to start bubbling, which should take about 5 minutes.
17. Once it is bubbling, cover it and decrease the heat to low.
18. Make sure that the pot is well covered by also adding a towel on top, especially if your pot has any holes for ventilation. Cook for 50 minutes.
19. After 50 minutes, turn heat off and allow maqluba to rest for 5-10 minutes.
20. To serve, find a large tray with raised edges and place it on top of the pot. Using both hands, flip the pot over in a single swift motion (have someone nearby to help you if you need it).
21. Leave the pot flipped over the tray for a few minutes and allow gravity to slowly drop the maqluba
22. Lift the pot very slowly to help keep it intact. Serve with yogurt and enjoy!