Fish Maglouba

Ingredients

2 cups basmati rice or 400 g, washed and rinsed

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

2 teaspoons dried lime powder

2 teaspoons ground cloves

2 teaspoons arabic mixed spicess

2 medium eggplants or 500 g, cut into round slices

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup vegetable oil or 250 ml, for deep frying

4 pieces butter

1 small cauliflower or 400 g, cut into medium florets

600 g hammour, cut into 5-10cm pieces

1 medium onion or 100 g, finely chopped

6 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cubes Chicken Bouillon or 20 g

2 cups water or 500 ml, hot

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium onion or 100 g, sliced and fried for garnishing

1/3 cup pine nut or 50 g, lightly toasted

Preparation

Combine all spices and gently mix together with wet rice, allow to sit for 15 min.

Peel and cut eggplants into 2cm thick slices, dredge with salt and allow juices to draw. Heat vegetable oil in a pan, pat-dry eggplants and fry on both sides until golden brown.

In a Non-Stick rice pot, melt half of the butter, lightly fry cauliflower florets until golden, but not fully cooked, remove and set aside. Using the same pot, gently fry fish until golden but not fully cooked. Remove and set aside.

On medium heat, using the same pot, melt the remaining butter, add Chopped onions, and Garlic and sauté until onions are translucent, sprinkle ½ cup of the rice (with the spices) on top and mix gently. Layer fried eggplant pieces, then ½ of the fried fish pieces, and layer with another 1-cup of rice, layer the fried cauliflower and the remaining fried fish and cover with the remaining rice. Flatten the rice surface in the pot.

Dissolve  Chicken Bouillon cubes in 500 ml of hot water and pour over the rice. Cover and cook on medium low heat until rice is cooked (about 25 min).

In a separate frying pan fry sliced onions and pine seeds in vegetable oil until golden brown.

To serve, carefully turn the content of the pot upside down onto a large plate, garnish with fried onion slices and pine seeds and serve hot.