Bethlehem Spiced Chicken Rice Bowl — Chicken Makloubet Beit Lahm
Bethlehem-style Palestinian upside-down rice with chicken, cauliflower, eggplant, and potato layered in a baharat-cinnamon broth, served with garlic-yogurt sauce.
Categories
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Instructions
Prep
Rinse 140g basmati rice until water runs clear. Peel and slice 200g potato into 1cm rounds. Slice 240g eggplant into 1.5cm rounds. Break 300g cauliflower into 4cm florets. Finely dice 120g onion and finely grate 2 garlic cloves. Mix 160g yogurt with 1 grated garlic clove, 10ml lemon juice, and 0.5 tsp salt. Chop 15g parsley.
Boil
Bring 640g chicken thighs, 700ml cold water, 2 cinnamon sticks, 4 crushed cardamom pods, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp allspice, and 1 tsp salt to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium-low, cover, simmer 20 minutes until juices run clear when pierced. Transfer chicken to a plate, strain broth, reserve 360ml, discard whole spices.
Roast
Heat oven to 200C. Toss cauliflower, eggplant, and potato with 40ml olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Spread on a large sheet pan, roast 20 minutes turning once, until eggplant is deeply golden and potato yields when pierced.
Bloom
Heat 20ml olive oil in a 24cm heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium for 1 minute. Add diced onion, cook 5 minutes until softened. Stir in grated garlic, 2 tsp baharat, 1 tsp cinnamon, 0.5 tsp allspice, and 0.5 tsp Aleppo pepper; toast 30 seconds until fragrant.
Build
Layer makloubeh in the saucepan: skin off chicken, place meat at bottom. Layer roasted cauliflower, then eggplant, then potato. Sprinkle rinsed rice evenly on top. Pour reserved 360ml hot broth and 0.5 tsp salt over rice, ensuring just covered.
Simmer
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium, cover tightly, reduce to lowest heat, cook 18 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat, rest covered 6 minutes.
Invert and plate
Place serving plates over the saucepan and invert in one motion. Lift saucepan to reveal layered makloubeh with chicken on top and rice at base. Scatter parsley across, drizzle garlic-yogurt sauce over, serve with lemon wedges.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.