Ingredients

• 4 medium eggplants, sliced thickly – be-tin-gan
• 1 kg lamb with bones, medium pieces – kha-roof
• 2 cups rice – roz
• 6 cloves garlic – tom
• 1/4 cup almonds – loz
• 1/4 cup pine nuts – snow-bar
  • 1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped – ba’-doo-nis
  • 1/2 tbsp mixed spices – khal-ta ta-wa-bel
  • salt and pepper – malh and fel-fel
  • oil for frying – zeit

Directions

• Fry the eggplant slices in oil in a large saucepan until brown. Place them in a sieve until all the excess oil has drained off.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a pan. Add in the pine nuts and almonds and fry on medium heat until the nuts are roasted. Remove the nuts from the heat and set aside.
• Place the meat in a large pan and cover with water. Add the mixed spices and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and cook until the meat is tender and done. Remove the meat and reserve the broth. Season the meat with some salt.
• Sprinkle the bottom of a deep saucepan with a little bit of rice. Place the eggplants over the rice and then add the meat as a third layer. Spread the cloves of garlic cloves on the meat and add the rice on top. Add salt and just enough broth to cover the rice.
• Place a plate upside down on top of the rice to prevent it from scattering.
• Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 30 minutes until the rice is cooked. Turn off the heat and remove the plate.
• Place a large serving dish over the pan and turn the pan upside down. Lift the pan slowly so the different layers of the makloubeh stay intact.
• Garnish the makloubeh with the almonds and pine nuts and serve hot