Rinse rice. Slice 700 g trimmed edible aubergine into 1 cm slices, toss with 30 g oil and roast for 15 minutes at 220 °C until golden.

Ingredients

• 500 gChicken, broiler or fryers, breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, raw
• 400 gRice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, unenriched
• 700 gEggplant, raw
• 400 gTomatoes, red, ripe, canned, packed in tomato juice
• 200 gOnions, raw
• 1,050 gBeverages, water, tap, drinking
• 60 gOil, olive, salad or cooking
• 7 gSalt, table
• 2 gSpices, cinnamon, ground
• 3 gSpices, cumin seed

Method

1. Rinse rice. Slice 700 g trimmed edible aubergine into 1 cm slices, toss with 30 g oil and roast for 15 minutes at 220 °C until golden.
2. Cut chicken into 3 cm cubes and onion into half-moons. Heat remaining 30 g oil to 170 °C in a heavy pot, fry onion for 3 minutes and chicken for 5 minutes.
3. Layer tomatoes, roasted aubergine and rinsed rice over chicken. Add 1,050 g water, salt, cinnamon and cumin; rice is an integral layered component of maklouba.
4. Simmer covered at 95 °C for 34 minutes until rice absorbs liquid and chicken reaches 74 °C. Water and oil remain in the pot.
5. Rest for 10 minutes, invert the pot onto a platter and serve in sixths without another side.