Maklooba

Like I mentioned in my first article, Maklooba (upside down) is truly my favorite meal ever. I have tried various types of foods including of course, Arabic, American, Indian, Mexican, Thai, Chinese and so many other food types but nothing comes close to maklooba. I would even challenge anyone to try my Mom's maklooba and compare it to a nice juicy porterhouse house steak from Morton's. Maklooba's main ingredient is of course, rice. There are various kinds of rice but the best rice for maklooba is the basmati rice. The rice grains of basmati rich are slightly longer than the rice grains of Uncle Ben's. Maklooba can be cooked with either chicken or meat depending on the family preference. In my experience, if a Palestinian family is cooking maklooba just for a normal meal, it's usually cooked with chicken as it is easier to prepare and chicken is cheaper. However, if a family is preparing maklooba for a large family gathering (Azooma), meat would be used as meat is cooked by Middle Eastern families during formal occasions.

Meal Name:
The name of this meal is self-explanatory. This meal is prepared in a deep pot where the meat or chicken is boiled. Once the meat or chicken is almost ready, rice is then placed in the pot over the cooked meat or chicken. Once the rice is ready, the pot is then turned over into a large plate. The turning over of the pot is the defining moment for this arabic meal's name.

Country of Specialty:
Maklooba is highly recognized as a Palestinian meal. This meal is a favorite in Palestinian households in Palestine and throughout the world. In my house, Maklooba is cooked every Friday. Before I started working in corporate America and became trapped between the hours of 9-5, my mother would prepare the maklooba before we go to Friday prayer and the whole family would sit down together and enjoy a delicious meal of Maklooba after we come back from Friday prayer. Although the ingredients of the meal are generally the same, each city or in some cases, each household, prepares a distinct tasting maklooba by adding different ingredients including herbs, spices, cauliflower, eggplant, or various vegetables.