Ottolenghi's Spiced Maqluba
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown lentils
- salt & pepper
- 1 1/4 cups basmati rice
- grated zest of 2 lemons
- 2 1/2 tblspns lemon juice
- 2 tspns finely minced garlic
- 5 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 tspn allspice
- 1 tspn turmeric
- 1 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 5 tblspns olive oil
- 500 grams onions, halved & thinly sliced
- 600 grams cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup tahini
- a handful of crispy shallots
Preparation
In a saucepan, combine lentils with 1 ltr water & salt. Simmer for 20 mins at low temp, then stir in rice. Simmer for another 6 to 8 mins, or until lentils are cooked
Drain well. Stir in lemon zest, 1 tblspn of lemon juice, 1 1/2 tspns garlic, cardamom, allspice, turmeric, half of the parsley, pepper & 3/4 tspn salt. Mix & set aside
In a large nonstick frying pan, heat 3 tblspns of oil on med-high. Add onions, 3/4 tspn salt & pepper & cook, stirring, until soft & well browned, 8-10 mins. Remove & set aside
Using olive oil, grease a 10 inch saucepan with straight sides and a lid. Line the bottom with parchment paper
In a bowl, toss tomatoes with oil, 1/2 tspn salt & pepper, then arrange flat on the bottom of the pan cut sides down
Layer cooked onions on top then spoon the rice mix over the onions, smoothing it down so the surface is flat. Using a skewer, poke 6 holes in the rice, then sprinkle with 2 tblspns water. Place the pan over high for 5 mins, reduce heat to med-low. Cover pan with a clean tea towel & cook for 15 mins, until rice is barely cooked. Check after 10 mins & add a little water if needed
Set pan aside for at least 20 mins (with lid & tea towel left on); residual heat will finish the cooking
In a bowl, combine tahini with 1/2 tspn of garlic, remaining lemon juice, 1/8 tspn of salt & 1/3 cup of water. Whisk & set aside
Remove lid & tea towel, cover the top of the pan with a large platter. With one hand on the pan & the other holding the platter, invert the dish so the top of the rice is the base of the maqluba on the platter. Tap the bottom of the pan a few times to help the tomatoes ease off the bottom. Peel off and discard the paper
Serve hot, with shallots, remaining parsley sprinkled on top, and tahini