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Maqluba (also attested by a variety of other spellings in English; Arabic: مَقْلُوبَة, romanized: maqlūba, lit. 'upside-down') is a traditional Levantine dish, a variety of Pilaf[1] that is popular across Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8] It consists of meat, rice, and fried vegetables placed in a pot which is flipped upside down when served, hence the name.[9]
 | |
| Alternative names | Maaluba, maqlouba, maqlooba, maqloubeh, makluba, maklouba, makloubeh, magluba, maglouba |
|---|---|
| Course | Meal |
| Place of origin | Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Iraq |
| Region or state | Levant, Mesopotamia |
| Associated cuisine | Levantine (Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian), Iraqi |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Meat, rice, and vegetables (tomato, cauliflower, potato, eggplant) |
The earliest mention of the dish is found in a 13th-century cookbook, Kitāb al-Ṭabīkh (The Book of Dishes), written by Muhammad Baghdadi during the Abbasid Caliphate.[10] In the context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Palestinians have described attempts to label the dish as Israeli as cultural appropriation.[11][failed verification]
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Maqluba can include various vegetables, such as fried tomatoes, potatoes, cauliflower, and eggplant, accompanied by either chicken or lamb.[12] The most common are cauliflower and eggplant. All the ingredients are carefully placed in the pot in layers, so that when the pot is inverted for serving, the dish looks like a layer cake.[9][13]
Maqluba is typically garnished with pine nuts and chopped fresh parsley.[14] It is sometimes served with salad and fresh yogurt, and is often prepared for feasts and large gatherings.
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The dish has been a matter of controversy in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, with Palestinians describing attempts to label the dish as Israeli as amounting to cultural appropriation.[11][failed verification] The dish has been used by Palestinian activists to mobilize people to join protests at Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem; in 2017, Israeli police arrested a Palestinian woman who had organized a maqluba eating gathering at Al-Aqsa.[15]
Since the unsuccessful coup attempt in Turkey in 2016, which involved the Gülen movement, the dish has been seen as a "Gulenist delicacy" and eating or preparing it has been considered by some as evidence of membership of the movement.[16]
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