Plov – Uzbek Rice with Lamb

Name: Plov – Uzbek Rice with Lamb
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Eastern European
Ingredients: 800 g lamb or beef, cut into large cubes; 600 g long-grain rice (ideally Basmati or a plov variety); 600 g carrots, cut into thick julienne (traditionally yellow); 400 g onions, cut into wedges; 150 ml vegetable oil or traditional fat; 1 whole head of garlic (cloves unpeeled, just cleaned on the outside); 1 tbsp whole cumin seeds; 1 tbsp ground coriander seeds; 1 tsp black pepper; Salt, to taste; About 1 litre of boiling water

⏱ 2 h in total🔪 30 min prep🍳 1 h 30 min cooking🍽 5 portiesMediumSlavic

The national dish of Uzbekistan, and it is built in an order you cannot rearrange.

First the zirvak: meat, onion, carrot and spices cook for almost an hour down into a concentrated base. Then the rice goes on top — and is not stirred in. It cooks in the steam rising through it, not in the liquid; stirred, it releases starch and the whole thing becomes a risotto.

And finally the dim: with the handle of a wooden spoon you make holes right down to the bottom so the steam rises evenly, and the pot stays tightly covered for 20 to 30 minutes. Only then is everything mixed.

The rice is washed beforehand until the water runs clear: every trace of starch left on the grain makes it claggy.

Ingredients

Measurements

🍽 5 servings

800 g lamb or beef, cut into large cubes
600 g long-grain rice (ideally Basmati or a plov variety)
600 g carrots, cut into thick julienne (traditionally yellow)
400 g onions, cut into wedges
150 ml vegetable oil or traditional fat
1 whole head of garlic (cloves unpeeled, just cleaned on the outside)
1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
1 tbsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp black pepper
Salt, to taste
About 1 litre of boiling water

Method

1
Preparation: wash the rice in several changes of water until the water runs completely clear, to remove the excess starch. Leave it in warm salted water while you make the base.
2
The zirvak (aromatic base): in a kazan (a heavy cast-iron or thick-based pot), heat the oil over high heat. Brown the meat until it has good colour. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent and golden.
3
Adding the vegetables: add the julienned carrots and the spices (cumin, coriander, pepper). Fry for about 10 minutes until the carrot starts to soften and takes up the flavours.
4
Cooking the base broth: pour in the boiling water, submerge the whole head of garlic in the centre and turn the heat down. Cook over medium-low heat for 40-50 minutes to concentrate the broth (the zirvak).
5
Adding the rice: take the head of garlic out for a moment. Drain the rice and spread it evenly over the meat and the carrots without mixing it in. Return the garlic to the centre, cover and cook over medium heat until the rice has absorbed almost all the liquid.
6
The dim (rest and steam): with the handle of a wooden spoon, make several holes in the rice right down to the bottom of the pot: they are what let the steam rise evenly, and a shallow one is useless because it does not connect to the base. Turn the heat to its absolute lowest, cover tightly and cook for 20-30 minutes more without stirring. When the time is up, turn it off and let it rest for 10 minutes. Only then mix everything together and serve.