Maklouba, or ‘Victory dish’, is a traditional Palestinian dish that dates back to the 12th Century AD. It was first prepared when the famous Muslim General Salahuddin Al- Ayyubid (‘Saladin’) captured Jerusalem from the crusaders in 1187.
Ingredients:
Meat or chicken, eggplant, tomatoes, carrots, garlic, and cauliflower. Spices: turmeric, cumin, bay leaves, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Recipe:
Cut the chicken or meat into cubes and fry them, with the spices, for ten minutes until they are crispy. Add water, thus making a broth.
Fry the vegetables in a different pan. Add the fried vegetables to the meat/chicken soaked in broth. Place the chicken/meat on the bottom of a big round pot, add layers of fried vegetables, and top it with rice and broth. Cook the pot for 45 minutes over a medium flame (120 degrees Celsius). Finally, let the pot rest for 30 minutes. Then flip the contents upside down. Serve with
yogurt.
‘Sahtein!’(‘Enjoy!’).