Makloubeh

Makloubeh is a Palestinian rice dish of spiced rice, fried vegetables and chicken, built in a pot and turned out upside down onto a plate. Its name is the Arabic word for "upside down," and the dish is also made in Jordan. The rice is seasoned with turmeric and allspice, which give it its yellow colour and warm, savoury taste, and the pot is flipped at the table so the whole dish arrives in one piece.

What it really is

Chicken is simmered with onion and spices until tender, and the cooking liquid becomes the stock for the rice. Aubergine and cauliflower are sliced and fried until golden, then laid over the bottom of a wide pot, with the chicken above them. Basmati rice is spread on top and cooked in the stock until it has absorbed the liquid. The pot then rests and is inverted onto a large platter, so the rice ends up underneath and the browned vegetables show on top.

How it's served

• Turned out whole onto a large platter, with the browned aubergine and cauliflower on top.
• Hot, cut into wedges at the table, with the chicken and rice in each portion.
• With plain yogurt or a green salad on the side, served separately from the dish.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the protein: chicken, or lamb if that is what the kitchen uses, and say so if a version is vegetable only.
• Name the vegetables, aubergine and cauliflower, since guests recognise them on the top layer.
• The core recipe contains none of the declarable allergens. Still flag the stock, which may contain celery, the yogurt served alongside, which contains milk, and any toasted nut garnish.
• Say that the dish is turned out of the pot and served as a shared platter, so guests know the portion and the format before they order.