Add the chicken and water into the pot. Turn on the heat and wait till it started to boil.
When it is already boiling, remove excess fats or dirt from the boiling chicken using the large spoon.
Add all the spices and give it a slow stir. Let the chicken simmer for 30 minutes.
Once the chicken is cooked, separate the chicken from the broth and transfer into the plate. Set aside.
Frying the Vegetables and the Chicken
Chop the potatoes, eggplants, and cauliflower to prepare to fry them.
Pour vegetable oil in the pan. When it is hot, add the potatoes and fry till it turns light brown.
Fry the rest of the cauliflowers and the eggplant. Transfer to the plate with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil. (The eggplant must be the last)
Once you are done frying the vegetables, fry the chicken using the same pan. Pour more cooking oil if needed.
Transfer all into the same plate. Set aside. Use tissue paper or paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Assembling the Maqluba
After all the chicken and the vegetables are fried, start transferring all of them into a new pot.
To make the first layer, add first the rice (20%), followed by half of the fried vegetables and the chicken. For a second layer, repeat again by putting the rice (20%), followed by the remaining vegetables and the chicken. Lastly, put all the remaining rice (60%) into the pot, and transfer the chicken broth from the old pot into this pot.
Turn on in high heat and let the pot boil. When the water is fully absorbed, reduce to low heat. Cook for additional 15 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked.
Prepare a large round plate. Bring the pot to the plate and quickly flip into an upside-down position.
Slowly raise the pot up to have a nice beautiful cake shaped like Maqluba. Garnish it with pine nuts (optional), and serve with any yogurt and salad.
Notes
Traditionally, makloubeh or maqluba is garnished with pine nuts, but I am not doing that in my recipe since I am not a fan of having nuts in my rice.
If you prefer a healthier version, you can grill or bake the vegetables and the chicken instead of frying them.
Before frying the chicken, make sure it is not watery or wet to prevent the oil from splashing.
You can use other long-grain rice such as Basmati or Jasmine rice. If using basmati, have it soaked for 30 minutes after washing the rice.