20-Min Lamb & Date Maqluba
Crispy rice cake flipped onto a plate with spiced lamb, eggplant, and sweet dates—the showstopper Middle Eastern one-pan dish made weeknight-fast. Ground lamb browns quick; everything cooks in one skillet.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 620
- Protein
- 32g
Ingredients
- ¾ lb ground lamb
- 1 medium eggplant eggplant, cubed (1/2-inch pieces)
- 2 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
- ½ cup pitted dates, halved
- 1 tsp combined ground cumin and cinnamon (mixed)
- 3 tbsp divided olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high. Brown ground lamb, breaking it up with a spoon, until no pink remains, ~5 minutes.
- 2
Add eggplant cubes and the cumin-cinnamon mix. Stir and cook 4 minutes until eggplant softens and browns slightly at the edges.
- 3
Stir in cooked rice and dates. Spread into an even layer and drizzle the remaining 1.5 tbsp oil over the top. Cook without stirring for 3 minutes until the bottom crisps.
- 4
Slide a plate over the skillet. Flip quickly and confidently—the rice cake will slide onto the plate with lamb and eggplant on top.
- 5
Serve hot. Dates will be glossy and warm; the rice bottom should sound crispy when tapped.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet with lid or cover
- wooden spoon
- dinner plate (slightly larger than skillet diameter)
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