Tastes of the World: 2 Awesome Recipes I Tried and Loved!

Welcome to the ultimate food face-off: Maqluba vs. Pannukakku!
One is a giant, upside-down tower of rice, chicken, and veggies from the Middle East. The other is a sweet, puffy pancake from Finland that’s basically a giant sweet cloud you can eat.
I’ve cooked both, I’ve tasted both… and now it’s time to share the two recipes every Kid Explorer needs to try!

Let’s start with the savory superstar…

My dad and mom lived in Bethlehem for a few years for work. While they were there, they learned to make lots of yummy dishes. Maqluba (pronounced “mock-LOO-bah”) is one of our all-time favorites. Besides Palestine, it’s also famous in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and other countries in the Middle East. And each family has their own spin on the recipe, sometimes using different veggies like fried cauliflower or carrots (which you could try, too, if you like better than what you see below).

In some Middle Eastern families, flipping the Maqluba at the table is a big event—everyone gathers around to watch and cheer as the cook flips the whole pot upside-down without spilling a grain of rice!

🍚 Maqluba (Upside-Down Rice Dish)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice (soaked in water for 30 mins, then drained)
• 1 medium eggplant (sliced)
• 1 medium potato (sliced)
• 1 onion (sliced)
• 2 cups cooked chicken or beef (shredded or chunks)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil for frying
• Sliced, RAW tomatoes for bottom of the pan (optional)

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Steps:

1. Fry the eggplant, potato, and onion slices in olive oil until lightly golden.
2. In a big pot, layer the fried veggies on the bottom.
3. Add the chicken or beef on top of the veggies.
4. Spread the soaked rice evenly over the meat.
5. Sprinkle allspice, salt, and pepper over the rice.
6. Pour the chicken broth over everything.
7. Cover and cook on low heat for about 45 minutes until the rice is tender.
8. Place a large serving dish over the pot and carefully flip the whole thing upside down—this makes the Maqluba!

*Pro tip: my mom says that her friends in Jordan and Bethlehem line the bottom of the pot with sliced, raw tomatoes. Cover the entire bottom surface, then add the fried veggies, meat, and everything else. The tomatoes create a barrier between the heat and the veggies and keeps the dish from burning or sticking to the pan when you flip it upside-down.

Serving Tip:
Top with chopped parsley and a a side of plain yogurt (you kind of swirl this into the rice as you take bites). My mom toasts almonds or pine nuts in a little oil on the stove to sprinkle on top. It’s delicious!

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Now for the sweet champion! This is one of our family’s favorite new-ish holiday breakfast traditions. It started when I was 7-years-old. I brought this international cookbook home from my school library (Cairo American College) and found this fun treat. We all loved it so much, we have it with our Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter breakfasts.

In Finland, Pannukakku is often served for special breakfasts or even as a dessert. Some families pass down their own secret versions of the recipe for generations!

🥞 Pannukakku (Finnish Oven Pancake)

Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp butter (melted)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

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Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. In a bowl, whisk eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla (if using).
3. Gradually add the flour and mix until smooth.
4. Pour melted butter into a 9×13 inch baking dish, tilting the pan so the butter coats the bottom. (You can also put cold or room temperature butter into the pan and slide it into the oven so it melts while you mix up the other ingredients. Either way.)
5. Pour the batter into the buttered dish.
6. Bake for 20–25 minutes until puffed and golden brown.
7. Serve hot with syrup, powdered sugar, or berries.

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Which recipe will you try first? Let me know in the comments and earn your Junior Chef badge!

If you want to do more recipes like this then get some books on amazon like this, this or even this!

Thank you for reading! I’ll have more content up soon. Please come back!  

🌍 The Kids Explorer Club With Jed