Dinner · 90 min · middle-eastern

Maqluba

Chicken thighs does the heavy lifting here, with basmati rice rounding it out. A Middle Eastern dinner that takes 90 minutes, start to finish. The macros do the talking: 49g protein, 48g carbs, and 16g fat in every 524-calorie serving. No specialty equipment and nothing hard to find at a regular grocery store.

✓ USDA-verified nutrition data

Ingredients

• 2 lb Chicken thighs
• 3 cups Basmati rice
• 1 head Cauliflower
• 1 large Eggplant
• 2 Potatoes
• 2 Tomatoes
• 2 tbsp Baharat
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1/3 cup Pine nuts

Steps

1. Fry the cauliflower florets, eggplant slices, and potato rounds until golden, about 12 minutes total; drain well.
2. Brown the baharat-rubbed chicken in the same pot until deeply colored; set aside.
3. Layer in a heavy pot: tomato slices, chicken, then the fried vegetables in distinct strata, then the rinsed rice on top.
4. Pour over salted hot water to just cover the rice; bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low 30 minutes without peeking.
5. Rest 15 minutes off the heat — the rest lets the layers set for the flip.
6. Place a large platter over the pot and invert in one confident motion; lift the pot slowly.
7. Shower with toasted pine nuts and serve with yogurt and salad; maqluba means “upside-down,” and the reveal is the theater.

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