Try Something New: Maqloobeh (Upside-Down Chicken & Rice)

I've been sitting on this post for a couple weeks now because I've been busy with work and other things, but today I finally have time for it. Sorry for the delay but I hope you enjoy this! 

So a few weeks ago I saw an article on CNN about Anthony Bourdains new show, Parts Unknown. The article had a falafel recipe but showed a short clip, from the episode, where Anthony was treated to a Palestinian dish called Maqloobeh. It was basically a complete meal cooked in layers within a single pot, then dumped onto a platter for serving. It looked amazing and I have a liking for Middle Eastern food, so I had to try it! Here's a link to the article that inspired me.

I had to do a bit of creative research to find out the name of the dish since I didn't actually listen to the audio of the clip and I was too lazy to go back and watch it again to hear if they ever named it. Apparently there are many different spellings to "Maqloobeh," and various Middle Eastern cultures have their own variations of the recipe. Much of the spices and seasonings used are fairly the same in each recipe, with slight changes here or there, but after I scoured through several recipes, I decided to mix and match the recipes to create my own version. I do this mix-n-match technique to a lot of recipes that I haven't tried before, mainly because it's difficult to find authentic/original recipes now days. I also have a very huge flavor pallet and can usually taste mixed flavors (in my head) as I see them in recipes.

So please keep in mind, the following recipe is not entirely authentic. It is my own creation based on various versions of Maqloobeh found on the web. Also, see my note below the recipe for additional changes from the original recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 chicken pieces (bone-in drumsticks and thighs)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut to bite sized pieces or slightly larger
• 3-4 potatoes, sliced to 1/2 inch thick rounds
• 3 cups long grain rice (can substitute with any preferred grain of rice)
• 5 cups water
• 4 whole cardamom pods
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1/2 tblsp. garam masala 
• 1 tblsp. turmeric
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 tblsp. oil
• oil, for deep frying
• 2 halved and roasted tomatoes for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Fill a large frying pan, or pot, about 1/2 inch with oil at medium-high heat. Fry potatoes and cauliflowers (separately) until golden then set aside and drain. 
2. In a large pot, add 2 tblsp. of oil and add chopped onions and sauté, about 2 mins, then add all spices and seasonings. 
3. Add chicken and water. Cover then bring to a boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. 
4. Taste broth and add salt if needed.
5. Add cauliflower, evenly spread out, and then add potatoes, also evenly spread out. 
6. Pour raw rice evenly into the pot then cover and simmer for approximately 20 mins, until rice is cooked. 
7. Place a large platter upside down and over the pot and flip the pot and platter over, dumping the contents of the pot onto the platter. 
8. Add roasted tomato garnish and serve. 

Note: Almost all Maqloobeh recipes called for eggplant, insisting that it is a MUST, but my roommate despises eggplant so I did not include it in my recipe. You will also have to adjust the water quantity accordingly, depending on the grain of rice you use. Short grain rice usually use a 1 to 1 ratio, where longer grains require nearly, if not more than, a 2 to 1 ratio (1 cups water to 1 cup rice).  I usually add just a tad bit more than required to adjust for evaporation when boiling (even when covered, some water loss occurs). 

When I made this, it was my first attempt and I had some guest over to try it. It turned out amazing and my friends really enjoyed it. In fact, two of my friends, who are brothers, took some of it home and their mother tried it. She took us out to Dim Sum a couple weeks later but raved about it during our meal! About a week after making the original dish, I made it again for my friends Rory and Olma. They too raved about it. Overall it was a successful test run at a cool and tasty recipe! 

In short, trying something new always seems risky, but how else are you going to expand your flavor awareness unless you go out and explore?! Even if you fail horribly at a new recipe, I'm sure you'll learn something new in the process. 

Try this recipe and tell me what you think! Or try a completely new recipe and tell me how it went! =)

Peace & Poi, 

Dis Hungry Hawaiian

Spam Musubi

If you've ever been to Hawaii, made a Hawaiian friend, been to a Hawaiian restaurant or just glanced at a Locals' pantry, you'd know that us Hawaiians LOVE spam!!

Back in the day (I don't have the memory for dates) there was a huge military and Japanese presence in Hawaii. With the heavy military presence in Hawaii came foods that lasts long and doesn't need refrigeration, hence Spam. At the time, Japanese were mostly plantation workers and needed a quick and easy lunch item that they could take with them to the sugarcane and pineapple fields. The Japanese, being the smart buggahs that they are, decided to throw spam on a bed of rice and wrap it up in nori (seaweed). Thus the creation of the Spam Musubi. It's been a staple item in local cuisine ever since.

In my hannabaddah days (Aka childhood) we would buy musubi's from the Manapua Man, 7-Eleven, bento houses and more. It was, and is, a quick meal while on the go. Whether you're going to the beach, fishing, hanging out, going theaters (gotta sneak it in your pocket) or just hungry, a musubi was the goto item! As amazingly easy as it is to make, my family never made them. I dunno if they were lazy or what but at $0.50 a musubi from the manapua man, I guess it was more feasible to just buy it.

Musubi's now days cost anywhere from $1-$2 each, in Hawaii. Now that I reside in the Bay Area, I've searched for cheap, and tasty, musubi's but it seems like you can't find one for less than $2 and it's size and taste are subpar at best. I've even seen musubi's run as high as $5 each. That's just RIDICULOUS. . . or so I thought. One day I went to buy a musubi and drink from a foodtruck that boasted "hapa" Hawaiian food, and they wanted $9!! That blew my mind!!! I practically threw it back at them and told them exactly where they can shove that $9 musubi and drink!!

A musubi is and will always be, to me, a simple, cheap and tasty goto snack. It literally consist of only rice, seaweed and spam. Of course there are several new variations since the old days, all of which are very yummy, but it's still intended to be affordable. Try making one yourself then tell me if it's worth $3-$5 each:


Spam Musubi

Supplies:

• Plastic Musubi Mold
• Bowl of water

Ingredients:

• Sliced spam (horizontally cut)
• Nori Sushi Wrappers
• Freshly cooked sticky rice (sushi or short grain)
• Teriyaki sauce

Note: For this recipe I will be using both a plastic musubi mold and teriyaki sauce, but both are optional items. Molding the rice by hand just sucks. I will also use strips of nori that cover the entire length of each musubi because it keeps the teriyaki sauce from making a mess while eating it. You can use any size strips you prefer though!

Preparation:

1. Remove spam from its can and slice 9 pieces horizontally.
2. Lightly fry spam for 1-2 minutes per side then pour teriyaki sauce and let soak until ready to use.
3. Place a spam can or the musubi mold onto 1 sheet of nori, to measure the required size for each musubi, and cut a strip of nori to fit the length of the can/mold.
4. Place the mold on the end of the strip of nori that's closest to your body.
5. Fill mold with rice and pack it down with the mold lid until the mold is at least half way full.
6. Remove mold by pressing down on the lid and pulling the mold up and away from the packed rice.
7. Place of piece of spam onto the rice and fold they entire combination over until fully covered in nori. (If done properly, you should end with a small strip of nori on the bottom of the musubi).
8. Seal nori by dipping your finger in water bowl and running it across the length of the remaining nori strip, then folding it over and pressing it down for a second or two.

Voila! Done. . .

As stated above, there are many variations and each just depend on what your preference is. Spam doesn't even have to be the main ingredient. 7-Eleven in Hawaii sells Chinese sausage, mochiko chicken, hotdog, longanisa & eggs musubi's and more. What's your favorite?

You can usually find plastic musubi molds at Asian store (Japanese to be specific) but if not, get creative!! I've seen and done some amazing things on a budget! ;) Check my pics below to see how I get down:

If you liked this recipe, please share with friends. It's simple but always a crowd pleaser!



Peace & Poi,
Dis Hungry Hawaiian