Maqluba

👨‍🍳 Method

1. 1
   Rinse the rice and Soak at least 20 minutes in water and drain.

   ⚙ SoakingBowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Heat the oil in a skillet.

   ⚙ Pan-fryingStoveFrying pan
3. 3
   Add the cauliflower florets and fry, until partly golden. Sprinkle the salt and turmeric over them. Remove and set aside.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
4. 4
   Add the onion and fry, until golden and crisp. Remove and set aside.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove
5. 5
   Heat the oil in a wide pot and toast the almonds and raisins in it. Add the cumin, turmeric, cinnamon and salt and stir.

   StoveWide, shallow pot
6. 6
   Layer on top of them the cauliflower, and finally the drained rice.

   Wide, shallow pot

   💡The bottom layer will be the top after flipping: arrange it neatly and tightly, and the rice above it holds everything together.
7. 7
   Add the hot chicken stock to 1 cm above the rice, and bring to a boil.

   Stove
8. 8
   Turn down' the heat to very low', cover and simmer 18 minutes.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
9. 9
   Let the pot stand covered off the heat 10 minutes, then flip it confidently onto a large serving platter, scatter the fried onion on top.

   LidServing platter

   💡Resting off the heat firms up the rice, so the maqluba comes out whole.