Maloubet el Betingan
- 2 onions, chopped
- Vegetable oil
- 1 pound lamb or beef, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 2 pounds eggplants, cut into 1/3-inch-thick slices
- 2 cups long-grain or basmati rice, washed
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts, to garnish (optional)
- In a large pan (at least 10 inches wide), fry the onions in 3 tablespoons oil over very low heat, with the lid on, until soft.
- Add the meat and brown it all over.
- Cover with water, add salt, pepper, cinnamon, and allspice, and cook for about 1 hour, or until the meat is tender, adding water to keep it covered.
- Meanwhile, arrange the eggplants on a baking sheet, brush both sides generously with oil, and sprinkle very lightly with salt.
- Broil under a preheated broiler, turning over once, until lightly browned on both sides.
- In the pan, off the heat, put a layer of eggplant slices on top of the meat.
- Pour half the rice evenly over them and sprinkle with a little salt.
- Arrange a second layer of eggplant slices and pour the remaining rice all over them.
- Sprinkle with a little salt and add enough water to just cover the rice.
- Do not stir, and cover with a lid.
- Bring to the boil, then simmer on the lowest possible heat for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender, adding water if it becomes too dry.
- Leave to rest and keep hot for 20 minutes before serving.
- Place a large round serving platter on top of the pan and quickly turn upside down, tapping the bottom of the pan, so that the contents come out undisturbed.
- Garnish, if you like, with pine nuts.
- Add 4 peeled and chopped tomatoes to the meat.
- For maloubet al arnabeet, use fried cauliflower florets (page 296) instead of eggplants.
- For maloubet al bamia, use 1 1/2 pounds boiled okra instead of eggplants.
- Recipes from Baghdad (see bibliography) gives a recipe for a maklouba with 1 pound fresh or frozen chestnuts instead of eggplants.
- Make a gash in the skin on the flat side of each chestnut and broil them under a preheated broiler until the skins loosen.
- Peel as soon as they are cool enough to handle.
onions, vegetable oil, beef, salt, cinnamon, allspice, eggplants, longgrain, nuts
Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ma-loubet-el-betingan-373455 (may not work)