Maqluba
Maqluba is a classic Arabic rice dish that translates to “upside down” in Arabic, and that’s exactly what it is! A one-pot meal features fluffy rice, tender meat, and golden fried vegetables, all layered and cooked together before being flipped onto a platter to reveal a stunning mosaic of textures and flavors.
This authentic Middle Eastern Maqluba recipe is rich, aromatic, and surprisingly simple to prepare. We serve it at our family gatherings or as a special dinner, this upside-down rice dish is a flavorful showstopper.
If you love this dish, you’ll also enjoy other traditional Arabic recipes I made, like Jordanian Mansaf, Saudi Kabsa, Egyptian Fattah, and Chicken Mandi.
I was introduced to this dish when I was in high school, my Mothers’s friend sent over some for lunch and I fell in love with it immediately. The version I had was made of fried cauliflower and no other vegetable, but it was out of this world.
Why You’ll Love This Maqluba Recipe
- Authentic yet easy: Made with simple pantry staples and traditional methods.
- Aromatic & flavorful: Each layer is seasoned and cooked to perfection.
- Versatile: You can swap the meat or vegetables depending on your taste. I had it with chicken and it tasted good too.
Ingredients for Maqluba with Lamb
For detailed measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Basmati rice – Soaked for 20 minutes to ensure fluffiness and even cooking.
- Lamb meat with bones – Adds rich, savory depth to the dish.
- Whole spices – Green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick for the stew.
- Ground spices – Turmeric, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns.
- Vegetables – Fried potato slices, cauliflower florets, and onion rings.
- Garnish – Fried nuts (almonds or pine nuts) and chopped parsley.
Optional: Swap cauliflower for eggplant or add carrots and bell peppers for color and variety.
HOW TO MAKE MAQLUBA
Step 1
Make the meat stew: Sauté your whole stew spices until they are aromatic, then add the meat and cook until it is brown. Next, add your garlic and onion, and cook for a few minutes. After that, pour in your boiling water and add your salt and turmeric powder.
Step 2
Simmer the meat: Let it simmer until the meat is tender, this should take about 45 minutes. Once done, remove the meat from the stew and set it aside. Strain the stew from the spices, onion, and garlic, add additional water, and set this aside as you’ll use it later.
Step 3
Prepare the vegetables: Next, you’ll fry the vegetables. Heat enough oil in a pan to shallow fry the vegetables. Start with the potato slices, frying them until they are golden brown. Remove the potatoes and set them aside on a kitchen towel to absorb the extra oil. Then, fry the cauliflower until it is golden and set it aside. Lastly, fry the onion slices until they are light golden, remove them from the oil and set aside.
Step 4
Season the rice: In a separate bowl, combine your drained rice with all the rice spices and salt. Mix it well and set it aside.
Step 5
Layer the Maqluba: Now it’s time to assemble your Maqluba. Start by placing a parchment paper at the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. Then, begin to layer the ingredients in the following order: meat, potatoes, cauliflower, onion, and finally the seasoned rice. Make sure that your meat stew is boiling hot before you pour it over the rice. Once the layers are all in place, pour the stew water over the rice.
Step 6
Cook the Maqluba: Cover the pan and let the rice cook over medium heat. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and let it simmer for 18 minutes.
Step 7
Flip and Serve: After that, turn off the heat but keep the pan covered for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. This standing time is essential for helping the layers stick together and for the rice to finish cooking. Finally, carefully flip the pan over a serving plate and your Maqluba is ready.
Tips for the Perfect Maqluba
- Use bone-in meat for maximum flavor.
- Soak your rice to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
- Fry vegetables properly—they’ll finish cooking with the rice, so do not over-fry them.
- Let it rest before flipping to help the layers hold together. This step will prevent it from collapsing.
- Make it your own with different meats (chicken or beef) or vegetables.
Variations
- Spicy Maqluba – Add chili flakes or chopped fresh chilies to the stew.
- Maqluba with eggplant, potato, and cauliflower – A traditional favorite combo.
- Vegetable-loaded – Add bell peppers, carrots, or peas for a colorful twist.
- Chicken Maqluba – For a lighter version, substitute lamb with chicken.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve Maqluba with cucumber yogurt salad or a fresh tomato and parsley salad.
- Pair with warm pita bread and a side of hummus or stuffed grape leaves for a complete Middle Eastern feast.
- Perfect for gatherings, but also packs well as a hearty lunch.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Lamb with bones is traditional and flavorful, but beef or chicken also work well.
Yes, but whole spices add more aroma and depth.
It helps release the Maqluba easily and prevents it from sticking to the pan.
Yes—for the flavor and texture.
Short-grain rice can work, but basmati gives the best texture.
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Not recommended—texture suffers when thawed. The vegetables will turn mushy and wet.
Watch me make Maqluba (Makloubeh)
⭐ Tried This Recipe?
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Maqluba
Ingredients
The meat stew
- 500 grams lamb meat with bones or beef
- 4 whole green cardamom
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon black pepper corns
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium onion cut in quarters
- 5 garlic cloves cut in halves
- 2 tablespoon oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 5 cups boiling water
Rice Spices
- 1 ½ cup basmati rice washed and soaked for 20 minutes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon green cardamom powder
Vegetables to fry
- Half cauliflower
- 2 medium potatoes cut into thick slices
- 1 medium onion cut in slices
- Enough oil to shallow fry the vegetables
For garnishing
- Fried nuts and chopped parsley
Instructions
Making the meat stew
- In a large pan, add the whole stew spices and cook for a minute, or until you smell their aroma.
- Add the meat and cook until you see brown patches.
- Now, add the garlic and onion, keep stirring and cooking for three to 4 minutes on medium heat.
- Pour the boiling water over the meat mixture and then add the salt and turmeric powder, stir well and cook until the meat is tender. It took me 45 minutes on medium heat.
- Remove the meat from the stew and keep aside.
- Strain the stew from the spices, onion and garlic. You should have 2 cups of stew, add to it one cup and ¼ water. Keep aside to use later. You need a total of 3 and ¼ cup of liquid to cook the rice later.
Frying the vegetables
- In a pan add enough oil to shallow fry the vegetables, when hot, add the potato slices and cook until golden. Remove and keep aside on kitchen towel to get rid of extra oil.
- Carefully add the cauliflower, since it has moisture it will sizzle and oil may splatter. Fry until golden and keep aside.
- Lastly add the onion slices and cook until light golden, remove from oil and keep aside.
Seasoning the rice
- In a bowl, add the drained rice and add all the rice spices and salt, mix well and keep aside.
- Layering the Maqluba
- Place a parchment paper at the bottom of a pan, layer the meat first, then the potatoes, then the cauliflower, and the onion. Lastly evenly spread the seasoned rice.
- The meat stew should be boiling before adding it to the rice. Carefully, add the stew water over the rice.
- Let the rice cook over medium heat until it boils. Once it boils, turn the heat down to the lowest, cover the pan and cook for 18 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and keep the pan covered for 15 to 20 minutes before flipping to help the layers stick together.
- Flip the pan over a serving plate and garnish with fried nuts and chopped parsley.
Notes
- You can use beef or lamb, but make sure it is with bones to have great flavor.
- If you are not fond of cauliflower, you can use eggplant, cut them the same size as the potatoes.
- I have used pine nuts to garnish the Maqluba, but pistachios, almonds, and walnuts work too.
- To reduce the amount of oil when frying the vegetables, make sure the oil is not cold.
- Frying the vegetables is not to cook them but to give them a brown color, so if your oil is hot and the vegetables turn light brown quickly that is fine, they will continue cooking with the rice late.