Chicken Maqluba

Mansaf, Jordan's national dish of lamb in fermented yogurt sauce, depends on jameed, a dried yogurt that is hard to find and slow to use, so for a weeknight I am choosing the dish Jordanian families make on an ordinary evening. Maqluba is a complete dinner from one pot, and the flip is the kind of small theater that gets a child to the table on time. The skill I expect to learn is layering and resting a rice dish so it holds its shape when turned out. Our adaptation roasts the eggplant and cauliflower on a sheet pan instead of deep-frying them, which saves oil and a greasy stove, and uses boneless thighs so the chicken cooks in the same time as the rice.

• Eggplant: The signature layer. Salting the slices for 15 minutes before roasting draws out moisture so they brown instead of steam. Two medium globe eggplants give enough slices to line the pot.
• Basmati rice: Long-grain basmati stays separate and holds its shape when the pot is flipped. Rinse it until the water runs clear and soak it 15 minutes.
• Baharat or "seven spice": A Levantine blend of allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, coriander and nutmeg, sold at Middle Eastern groceries and online. Substitute 1 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon each cardamom, black pepper and cloves.
• Chicken thighs: Boneless, skinless thighs, browned first, cook through in the 35-minute simmer. Bone-in pieces are more traditional but need parboiling, which adds half an hour.

1. Heat the oven to 450°F. Slice the eggplants into 1/2-inch rounds, salt both sides and lay on paper towels for 15 minutes. Cut the cauliflower into thick slabs.
2. Rinse the rice until clear, then cover with cold water to soak.
3. Pat the eggplant dry, brush it and the cauliflower with 3 tablespoons olive oil, and roast on a sheet pan 20 minutes, turning once, until deep golden.
4. Halve the chicken thighs and season with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baharat and the turmeric. Slice the tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
5. Make the salad: dice the cucumbers, chop a handful of parsley, and dress with the juice of half the lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and salt. Stir the yogurt with a pinch of salt.

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken 3 minutes per side and remove. Add the onion and cook 4 minutes until soft; add the garlic and remaining baharat, stir 30 seconds, then scrape into a bowl.
2. Build the layers in the empty pot: tomato slices across the bottom, then the chicken, then the eggplant overlapping like roof tiles, then the cauliflower. Press down gently.
3. Drain the rice, mix it with the cooked onion and 1 teaspoon salt, and spread it evenly over the vegetables. Tuck in the bay leaf.
4. Bring the stock to a boil and pour it slowly over the back of a spoon so the rice is not disturbed; it should just cover the rice.
5. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover tightly, reduce to the lowest heat and cook 35 minutes without stirring. Turn off the heat and rest, covered, 10 minutes; the rest is what lets it hold together.
6. While it rests, toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet 3 minutes.
7. Run a thin spatula around the inside edge. Set the platter upside down over the pot, grip both with towels, and flip in one confident motion. Wait 2 minutes, then lift the pot straight up. If a section slides, press it back.

Scatter the pine nuts and chopped parsley over the dome and bring the platter to the table with the yogurt and salad alongside. Everyone cuts a wedge and spoons cold yogurt over it. There is no chile in the dish, so my son's plate matches ours; if the eggplant is a hard sell I will give him chicken, rice and cauliflower. Leftovers keep three days and reheat well in a covered pan with a splash of water.