Ma'aluba (Chicken or Lamb with Eggplant or Cauliflower)

Ingredients

• •Boneless chicken or lamb pieces
• •Olive oil
• •Onion slices
• •Salt
• •Freshly ground black pepper
• •Chopped garlic
• •Water
• •Fried eggplant slices or cauliflower pieces
• •Rinsed rice

Directions

1. 1Brown the meat with the onion. Add the salt, pepper, garlic and enough water to cover the meat. Cover and cook until tender--probably for about an hour if you're using lamb, and less with chicken. Put any remaining liquid from the meat aside.
2. 2Arrange the eggplant or cauliflower on the bottom of another pot. Layer the rice over this and then the meat. Add water or meat juices to cover the rice. Cook over a low flame for 20 to 30 minutes. Place a plate over the pot and flip it over so that the vegetables and meat appear on top of a dome of rice.