Eggplant Maqluba

Ingredients

• 500 g for each method Rice
• 1 kg Eggplant
• 500 g Ground meat
• 1½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Black pepper
• ½ teaspoon All-purpose spice blend
• 1 cube Maggi cube
• for garnish Almonds
• for garnish Pine nuts
• about ¼ cup for the meat + 3 or 4 tablespoons for cooking the rice in the first method + about 5 tablespoons in the second method Oil
• 3 cups for every 500 g of rice Water
• optional alternative to oil Ghee

Instructions

1. For each method, wash 500 g of rice several times until the rinse water runs clear, then soak it in a bowl of cold or room-temperature water for a sufficient time; the chef said 30 minutes is enough.
2. Cut the eggplant into two shapes: lengthwise slices, leaving strips of peel on, and round slices, since the round slices are used on the bottom of the pot or for serving.
3. Place the cut eggplant pieces directly into a bowl of cold water; if the water is not cold, add ice cubes to the bowl to preserve the color.
4. Add a little salt to the bowl of eggplant water to preserve the color, as mentioned by the chef.
5. Sprinkle the eggplant with a little salt, then drain and dry it before frying so the oil does not splatter in the pan.
6. Fry the eggplant pieces in oil until golden, keeping them slightly firm, as explained by the chef.
7. Transfer the fried eggplant to a tray or plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil.
8. Place about ¼ cup of oil in a pan and fry the ground meat until cooked through.
9. Add the salt and black pepper to the meat while frying; the chef mentioned approximately ½ teaspoon of salt and about 1 teaspoon of black pepper for the meat at this stage.
10. Bring water to a boil in a pot, then place a colander over the pot and lower the fried eggplant into the hot water to draw out its color and oil.
11. Add a pinch of salt to the eggplant in the hot water, then turn off the heat and leave the eggplant in the hot water for about 5 minutes, without allowing it to boil too much.
12. Remove the eggplant from the pot and drain it in a colander, leaving the eggplant water in the pot to cook the rice in the first method.
13. Measure 3 cups of the eggplant water for every 500 g of rice in the first method.
14. For the first method, place 3 or 4 tablespoons of oil in a pot over the heat; ghee may be used instead of oil, according to the chef.
15. For the first method, add 3 cups of eggplant water to the pot, then add the salt, black pepper, all-purpose spice blend, and Maggi cube, and let the liquid boil.
16. For the first method, add the soaked, drained rice to the pot and leave it over high heat until the water boils.
17. When the rice water dries up in the pot in the first method, cover the pot, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and leave the rice until cooked and fluffy.
18. For the first method, arrange the eggplant slices in a serving bowl, placing the black peel strips outward to create a rose-like appearance.
19. For the first method, place the cooked rice over the eggplant in the serving bowl, then press it lightly around the sides.
20. For the first method, cover the serving bowl with a larger plate, then invert the bowl onto the plate to release the maqluba.
21. For the first method, garnish the maqluba on the serving plate with the fried meat, almonds, and pine nuts.
22. For the second method, mix the soaked rice in a bowl with the salt, black pepper, and all-purpose spice blend.
23. For the second method, dissolve the Maggi cube in 3 cups of hot water in a bowl or pitcher.
24. For the second method, arrange the round eggplant slices on the bottom of the pot, then arrange the lengthwise slices around the sides of the pot.
25. For the second method, distribute a portion of the meat over the eggplant inside the pot before adding the rice.
26. For the second method, add the seasoned rice to the pot and distribute it evenly without stirring too much so the eggplant arrangement is not disturbed.
27. For the second method, pour the 3 cups of hot water with the dissolved Maggi cube evenly over the rice in the pot.
28. For the second method, add about 5 tablespoons of oil over the contents of the pot; ghee may be used instead of oil, according to the chef.
29. For the second method, place the pot over high heat until the water dries up, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and leave the maqluba until cooked.
30. After cooking in the second method, press the rice lightly in the pot, then invert the pot onto a serving plate.
31. For the second method, garnish the maqluba on the serving plate with the meat, almonds, and pine nuts.
32. Serve the maqluba hot. The chef mentioned that it can be served with a dish of yogurt with cucumber or a salad.