Maqlouba with pumpkin and aubergines

schedule75 minutes

restaurant_menuLunch | Main course | Mediterranean | Vegetarian

This maqlouba – which means ‘upside down’ – is a vegetarian variant of Palestine’s national dish. So many families, so many recipes. So don’t hesitate to add a personal touch. Good luck and enjoy!

All ingredients

‒ 4 persons +

basmati rice ^* 500 g
pumpkin 800 g
aubergine 2 stuks
onion 1 stuks
fresh parsley 1 bussels
Medjool dates ^* 4 stuks
cumin 2 tl
fennel seed 2 tl
turmeric 2 tl
black pepper ^* 1 tl
vegetable stock 4 stuks
water 700 ml
olive oil ^* 200 ml

^* available at Oxfam-Wereldwinkels

Let's get started

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Cut the pumpkin into cubes no larger than 1 x 1 cm. Sprinkle with olive oil and oregano. Mix well, then pour onto a baking tray and place in the oven for around 20 minutes.
Finely chop the onion and sauté in olive oil in a frying pan or saucepan in which you will make the Maqlouba. Add all the spices and cook until the onion is translucent.
Add the rice, roasted pumpkin, diced dates, water and crumbled stock cubes. Mix well.
Place the saucepan on a low heat, uncovered. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the rice is tender. Do not stir.
Cover a baking tray with 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Cut the aubergine lengthways into very thin slices. Spread the slices over the baking tray and drizzle the olive oil over them. Season with salt and pepper and place in the oven for around 20 minutes, until the aubergines are tender.
Taste the rice but do not mix. When the rice is cooked, place a lid on the pan and leave the Maqlouba to rest for 10 minutes.
Take a large plate or board and place it over your pan to spill the Maqlouba onto it, in one smooth motion. Carefully remove the pan.
Garnish your Maqlouba with slices of roasted aubergine and flat-leaf parsley. Serve immediately.