Food Stories is a new column in which Best of Vegan community members share recipes from their cultures and personal stories connected to those dishes. Today, Waseem Hijazi of demeals shares his recipe for vegan Makloubeh, a Palestinian national favorite that’s as appropriate for a weeknight dinner as it is for a special occasion.
This recipe was featured in Waseem’s profile for the new weekly BIPOC Portraits series by Val and Mani Latifi, where they interview vegan creators and shed light on the unique challenges BIPOCs face in making the decision to embrace veganism. Click here to see the full article.
Makloubeh means “Flipped”. It is a Palestinian national favorite. A common dish for everyday meals, and a celebratory plate for family food gatherings, Ramadan, and many other special occasions.
It’s a layered one-pot dish, with a couple of veggies par-cooked separately first. But some people use the same pot to do all the cooking in, removing then layering all components of the dish. It consists of three main parts: (1) rice as a base, (2) meat filling/topping, and (3) vegetables of different shapes and textures.
Once everything is cooked in the pot, it’s flipped upside-down on a giant plate to serve, topped off with toasted nuts and a garnish of parsley, and served with a side salad, and/or a creamy garlicky cucumber yogurt. It’s packed with warm earthy flavors, with a combination of textures in between the layers.
What makes Makloubeh so special is that it’s all about convenience. There are many different versions of the dish, made of different kinds of meats and veggies. Usually, chicken is paired with cauliflower and potatoes, while beef is combined with eggplants and tomatoes. But the options are unlimited! This is one of those dishes that when my mom made, she often cooked and served the meat separately, for everyone to plate their own. So her Makloubeh was loaded with veg!
She made hers with lots of fried eggplants, similar to the original Palestinian version. But she also added whatever other vegetables we had, or that were about to go bad. Up until the time I actually started liking eggplants, I remember she would layer the pot with tomatoes, potatoes, bell peppers, and even zucchinis at times. But she’d still sneak in the eggplants here and there.
As for the meat mixture, she would usually go for ground beef, cooked with onions in a separate pan, which makes veganizing it a little easier. All you’d need is ground meat alternatives. But I opted for a healthier alternative, using a combination of three whole-food, plant-based ingredients: (1) chickpeas, (2) tofu, and (3) walnuts. Once smashed, crumbled, and crushed, they work so well together in absorbing all the good flavours of the Makloubeh.
I also decided to go for a less oily version of the fried veggies. While they’re typically deep-fried, I went for an air-fryer instead. With a little spray oil, I got the same crispiness of a deep fryer. You can also oven-bake rather than air-frying – See Notes (3) below. If you’re ever in the mood for a warm meal to cozy up on, grab a pot and your favorite veg, and let’s make some Makloubeh!
Enjoy a taste of Palestine in your own kitchen with this Vegan Makloubeh recipe. Published with permission from demeals.
Ingredients
“Meat” Mixture:
- 1 can chickpeas
- 400 g extra firm tofu
- 1 cup crushed walnuts
For the Spice Mix:
- 2 tbsp + 1 tsp seven spice
- 1 ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon - or 1 small cinnamon stick
- ¼ tsp turmeric - See Notes - 4
- 1 tsp salt - or adjust to taste
Veggies:
- 2 small onion - small diced
- 5-6 Roma tomatoes - sliced ¼ inch
- 5-8 small potatoes - peeled & sliced ¼ inch
- 2 large eggplants - sliced ½ inch
The Rest:
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- Spray oil
- 3 cups veggie broth - more if needed to cover the pot
- 2 cups long-grain rice/basmati - rinsed & soaked - I used brown rice for extra nutrients
- 2 bay leaves
- ⅛ cup pine nuts - toasted
- Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Drain and press the tofu for a few minutes to release the liquids.
- Wash and prep the vegetables. Make sure the potato and eggplant slices are dry before air-frying. I use a clean kitchen towel to keep them dry. (You can use the salt method to drain out the eggplants for a crispier bite. But since they will soften down during the cooking in the pot, there is no need to have them super dry.)
- Prep the “meat” mixture in a large bowl. Smash the chickpeas, leaving some texture and a few beans in whole. Crumble the tofu into small chunks over the chickpeas. Add in the crushed walnuts, and mix everything to combine.
- Mix the spices in a small bowl.
- Prepare the rice. Rinse thoroughly until water runs clear, then soak in a large bowl in warm water for 15-20 minutes. Rinse again and drain well when ready.
- Coat the potatoes and eggplants with a little oil spray. Air-fry for 15-20 minutes at 325ºF (or 163ºC) - flipping halfway. Remove and set aside.
- In a hot pan over medium-high heat with oil (or broth), sauté the onions until translucent. About 5-7 minutes.
- Add in the “meat” mixture and cook for a couple of minutes, until it changes color. Drop in the spice mix and stir to combine. Lower the temperature to medium and cook for 10 minutes, or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove and set aside.
- Start layering the pot. Place the tomato slices around the edges, then fill in the center with more tomatoes. Layer the eggplant slices close together, avoiding gaps. Add the “meat” mixture, packing it (slightly) tightly with the back of a spoon. Cover with the potato slices to close off the layers. Carefully, sprinkle the drained rice over the potatoes, spreading it with your hands to make it as flat as possible. Place a spoon at the edge of the rice, with the back of it facing upwards. Slowly drizzle the broth onto the spoon to drizzle down and cover the pot. Top it off with the bay leaves, and cinnamon stick (optional). Then cover with a heat-proof plate, pushing it down slightly to hold in place.
- For the best shape to hold still, try not to spill the broth directly on top of the rice. Instead, move the spoon all around the edge to evenly fill the pot with broth.
- Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then set to low. Cover with the lid. Cook for 30-40 minutes (carefully removing the plate after 10 minutes), until the rice is fully cooked. Remove from heat, and let it rest for 10-15 mins.
- TO SERVE
- After resting in the pot for a few minutes, remove the lid and place a large flat serving plate over the rim of the pot - lining it up in the center. Hold the pot from both handles, while covering the plate at the top with both hands. Lift the pot (high enough), and carefully flip the pot inwards (towards you), as you lower it down to the surface. You should hear a drop as you flip.
- Alternatively, lift the pot and place one hand at the bottom, with the other on top, and flip it quickly. Have someone assist you, if needed.
- Tap the top of the pot with your hands to make sure everything fell in place. Carefully lift the pot for the big reveal.
- Top it off with toasted pine nuts and freshly chopped parsley.
- Serve with a side salad and/or vegan garlicky cucumber yogurt. I like adding a bit of sriracha to my yogurt for a little kick.
- We also often drop a side plate of raw radish, green onions, and pickles to balance out the flavors from the Makloubeh and spicy yogurt.
Notes
Text, recipe & photography by Waseem Hijazi.
Waseem Hijazi is the recipe creator and food blogger behind plantbasedarab.com. An accountant by day, and a foodie all throughout the day, he creates plant-based recipes for tasty food, that’s simply made. He focuses on implementing diversity of plants within the recipes he shares and bringing out the vegan-friendly foods from his culture, often mixing middle eastern flavors that take him back to his favorite childhood dishes.
PIN/SAVE/SHARE THIS ARTICLE
If you loved this Vegan Makloubeh recipe, you might also like…
https://bestofvegan.com/bipoc-portraits-demeals/
Delicious!