Every rice cook in the Gulf knows that the best part of the pot is the bottom, and mashkhool is built on that knowledge. Rings of onion dusted with turmeric and black pepper, slices of potato and sometimes eggplant are laid in the base of a heavy pot, the rice is steamed on top of them, and the whole thing is turned out upside down onto a platter. What arrives at the table is a mound of white, separate, lightly spiced grains wearing a golden crown of sticky, caramelized vegetables, crisp at the edges and soft beneath.

Mashkhool is a home dish shared by Qatar and Kuwait. In Qatari kitchens it is often made with chicken tucked into the pot, and it is counted among the traditional dishes Qatar serves when it wants to show visitors home cooking. This is the plainer form, as Kuwaiti cooks describe it: just the rice and its vegetable crust, which leaves the stage clear for the crust, and for whatever comes off the grill to sit beside it.

No Gulf rice is complete without daqoos, the garlicky tomato sauce that sits beside the platter. This one is cooked, warm and deep red, and it does for the rice what a good engineer does for a driver: says very little, and makes everything work.

The onion and potato base

Ingredients

• 2 medium waxy or all purpose potatoes, such as Yukon Gold
• 1 small eggplant
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) vegetable or sunflower oil
• 2 large yellow onions
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fine salt

Method

1. Lay the potato rounds, and the eggplant rounds if using, on a clean towel or paper towels and pat them dry on both sides. Sprinkle the eggplant with a pinch of the salt.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of the oil in the large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the potato rounds in a single layer and fry for 3 to 4 minutes per side, then lift them onto a plate. Fry the eggplant the same way for 2 to 3 minutes per side, adding a splash more oil if the pan looks dry. They do not need to cook through; they will finish in the pot.
3. Separate the onion slices into rings in a bowl. Sprinkle over the turmeric, black pepper and the rest of the salt and toss with your hands until every ring is tinted yellow.
4. Pour the remaining oil into the heavy pot and tilt it so the base is coated. Lay the potato rounds over the bottom in a single, slightly overlapping layer, then add the eggplant in the gaps or over the top. Scatter the onion rings evenly over everything and press down gently with the back of a spoon. Leave the pot off the heat until the rice is ready.

The rice

Ingredients

• 2 cups (400 g) basmati rice
• 12 cups (2.8 liters) water
• 1 tablespoon fine salt
• 1 cinnamon stick, about 3 inches (7.5 cm)
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 loomi (dried lime)
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) hot water
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil

Method

1. Put the rice in the large bowl and cover with cold water. Swirl it with your hand, pour off the cloudy water and repeat 4 or 5 times. Cover with fresh cold water and leave it to soak for 20 minutes while you prepare the base.
2. Bring the 12 cups (2.8 liters) of water to a rolling boil in the large saucepan with the salt, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and loomi. Drain the rice and tip it in. Boil uncovered for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring gently once, then drain it in the sieve. Pick out and discard the whole spices if you can see them.
3. Spoon the drained rice gently over the onion layer in the pot, building it into a loose mound slightly higher in the center, without pressing it down. Poke 5 or 6 holes down through the rice with the handle of the spoon, stopping before you reach the vegetables. Drizzle the 1/3 cup (80 ml) hot water and the oil evenly over the top.
4. Wrap the lid in the kitchen towel, tying the corners up over the handle so they cannot hang near the flame, and press it on firmly. Set the pot over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting and leave the pot alone for 35 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
6. Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for 10 minutes. Run a thin spatula or knife around the inside edge. Place the platter upside down over the pot, hold the two together firmly with oven mitts, and turn them over in one quick, confident movement. Set the platter down and lift the pot away slowly. If any vegetables stay behind, lift them out with a spatula and lay them back on top.

Daqoos, warm garlic tomato sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil or vegetable oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 green chili
• 4 ripe tomatoes, about 1 1/4 lb (570 g)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro

Method

1. Warm the oil in the small saucepan over medium low heat. Add the garlic and green chili and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown.
2. Stir in the grated tomato, tomato paste, cumin, chili powder and salt, then the water. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered over medium low heat for 15 minutes, stirring now and then.
3. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. For a smooth sauce, blend it briefly with the stick blender. Stir in the cilantro and taste for salt.

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