Syrian Maklouba (eggplant with rice)

Ingredients

• 1 kilo baby veal meat, clean and cut into circle shapes
• 3/4 kilo eggplant, cut into circle shapes
• 2 medium onion, cut into circle shapes
• 1/2 kilo potato, cut into circle shapes
• 1/2 kilo tomato, cut into circle shapes
• 4 cups of rice
• 3 tablespoon of tomato paste
• Salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper (to taste)
• Olive oil, for frying

          Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and sauté eggplant, onion and potatoes separately and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a deep pot over medium-high heat and sauté baby veal meat and cook until golden brown. Add water to the pot and cook again until all water is drained and the meat is cooked well then take the meat out and set aside.
3. In large bowl combine tomato paste and rice mixing them together very well.
4. Prepare the same cooking pot and place fresh tomato as first layer into the pot then add onion as second layer after that add the veal meat
5. Add eggplant over the meat then add potato as final layer. Add the rice over the layers and carefully overflow with water until the water cover the rice with about 3cm height.
6. Cover the pot and place it over high heat until the water start to boil then reduce the heat to medium and keep until the Maklouba is cooked.
7. Open the cover and use larg spoon to press down the rice to stick more stronger together.
8. Prepare flat serving plate and quickly flip the pot over the plate then hammer the pot with hand from different places and gently lift it up
9. Serve and enjoy

      Butheina Al-nounou