Uzbek-style pilaf (step-by-step recipe) is a traditional oriental dish. Step-by-step recipes for Uzbek-style pilaf with beef and pork

The other day I looked at different resources pilaf recipes. As someone who has cooked this dish probably hundreds of times, I can only shrug and suggest cooking “natural pilaf.” More precisely, Uzbek pilaf. And even more precisely - the Fergana version of Uzbek pilaf, which simply does not exist in nature as “more natural” (I will refrain from extensive ethnographic and culinary information).

Of course, as soon as I present a set of products that are actually accessible to the average city dweller, there will immediately be “apologists for the classics”: they say, cottonseed oil is not used, red carrots are used instead of yellow ones, pilaf is made not on a fire, but on a stove, and so on. However, for those who really want to cook real pilaf, I will say: do not listen to the “apologists”. Pilaf is a dish that forgives liberties in unimportant details. But he does not forgive fundamental miscalculations. One of the fundamental components of pilaf is the fact that pilaf is a living organism, and not male, but female, which therefore requires an appropriate attitude towards itself.

Armed with a serious understanding of this circumstance (I will explain its essence clearly below), we can safely get down to business.

To begin with, I suggest preparing pilaf based on small proportions of products. With such pilaf it will be possible to feed 5-6 people to the fullest and not make almost a single fundamental mistake when preparing it. Later, if desired, the proportions can be increased and, with the experience gained, you can prepare pilaf for at least 20 people, at least for 100.

So, for a “small” pilaf we will need:

1. A kilogram of rice, preferably durum varieties. For example, devzira rice, which is now available in almost any market for 200-250 rubles per kilo (photo will be placed below), or its varieties, like chungara. Or - other rice varieties that have proven themselves well in Central Asian pilafs - laser, alanga, basmati, etc. I would like to remind you once again of what I have said more than once: the choice of rice for pilaf must be approached very carefully, not only taking into account that this is the main component of the dish, but also the fact that the dish itself is relatively labor-intensive in terms of time and technological costs. You need it - after putting in a lot of effort, only to be disappointed at the finish line because you bought any kind of rice in any station store? I think no.

2. About a kilogram of medium-fat lamb, of which a third are bones, two thirds are meat. By the way, I’ll add that talk about how pilaf is prepared exclusively from lamb is nothing more than talk. And idle time. Especially considering the undeniable primacy of rice in this dish. However, lamb is the most preferred meat in it.

3. 100 grams of lamb fat, preferably tail fat, although (in the absence of it) it can be replaced with fat cut from other parts of the carcass. You should definitely avoid using lard - because of its pronounced “foreign” quality and, to put it mildly, not the best taste.

4. A kilogram of red juicy carrots. If you find a yellow one (which I doubt) - very good.

5. Three medium onions.

6. Two heads of garlic.

7. 150 grams of vegetable oil (refined).

8. MANDATORY: one and a half to two teaspoons of cumin (cumin). Without it, don’t even try pilaf.

9. 1-2 whole pods of hot pepper (optional).

10. Salt to taste.

11. As an option, you can use several grains of dry barberry, but it has absolutely no effect on the taste of the future pilaf.
Since I have a gas stove, I will cook pilaf in a cast iron cauldron traditional for preparing this dish, although the use of other utensils is not prohibited. It depends on the conditions you have - be it a fire, gas or electric stove. The “tool” you will need is a slotted spoon. A spatula or, especially, a spoon is not only inconvenient, but at certain stages is harmful.

So, first of all, we make 100% preparation of products for pilaf - during frying there will be no time to do cutting.

1. Separate the meat from the bones and cut into small pieces, as for goulash. We don't throw away the bones.

2. Cut the lard into small cubes - about a centimeter by centimeter.

3.Cut the onion into thin rings.

4. Cut the carrots (we do not scrape the skin, but cut it off) into thin strips, by hand, without resorting to the help of any kitchen devices. Sometimes, to decorate pilaf, one or two whole carrots are added to the chopped carrots, which are fried according to a slightly different algorithm than the main one. Since sometimes misunderstandings arise with “average” carrots, that is, those mostly sold on our shelves (during heat treatment they crumble and no longer hold their shape), I began to practice this trick. I sprinkle the chopped carrots with lemon juice, add a few pinches of granulated sugar, mix and leave to “sit” for 15-20 minutes. Thus, it acquires much greater resistance to temperatures and does not fall apart. However, as observations have shown, this only applies to some varieties of imported carrots.

5. Remove the rhizome from the garlic and remove the skin, exposing the teeth.

We try to place all products (except rice and spices) on one wide plate, without mixing, so that they are at hand.

Cooking rice. This is what devzira rice looks like while it is still covered in pollen.

And this is what it looks like after washing in several waters. The rice should be washed and sorted to remove stones at least two hours before preparing the pilaf in order to keep it in lightly salted water. This significantly improves the properties of rice.

So, everything is prepared, we begin to warm up the dishes thoroughly.

Pour 150-200 grams of vegetable oil into the cauldron and heat the oil to such an extent that a circle of onion thrown into it turns brown in a few seconds. As soon as the oil has warmed up, drop the lamb fat into it. But you can do the opposite - first melt the lard and, after removing it, pour oil into the melted fat. The second method is convenient because fats can be dosed more accurately. Provided, of course, that you managed to “fit in” well enough with both the dishes and the rice used, since different varieties of rice have different abilities to absorb fats.

There is no need to render lard into smoke, keeping in mind its main purpose, which, of course, is not to add a bit of fat, but to flavor the vegetable oil.

As soon as the lard turns golden, catch it and transfer it to a separate plate - it will no longer be needed for pilaf. Place the seeds into the hot oil, stirring vigorously. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of cumin. ATTENTION! Let us remember one important thing: the color of the future pilaf largely determines the degree of roasting of the seeds. The correct degree of roasting is a persistent brown color of the meat remaining on the bones.

Now it's time for the onions. It should also fry with vigorous stirring. Its readiness is also determined by color: the onion should turn golden.

As soon as the onion turns golden, add the chopped lamb pulp to the cauldron and mix.

Fry the meat carefully. We don't want it to get crusty. It is enough for it to burn with oil (in time - no more than 7-10 minutes).

As soon as the meat has reached the specified condition, we put the carrots cut into strips into the cauldron, immediately mixing it thoroughly with the other ingredients.

As a rule, with intensive stirring, the carrots reach the desired state in 10 minutes. Well limp, it signals the beginning of a new stage - pouring warm water into the cauldron and becoming an important component of the pilaf - sauce, which is scientifically called zirvak.

It is very important not to make mistakes with water - it is better not to add it than to overfill it. I usually pour water by eye, but this time I used a measuring cup, pouring 1.2 liters of food onto the indicated volume of food. What happened next showed that I was exactly in the required volume. I recommend that you pour no more than a liter, since the rest can be added when adding rice. The water level from the frying along the top edge should be about a centimeter and a half.

Now we wait for the zirvak to boil and, as soon as this happens, we put garlic and capsicum into it (ATTENTION! The pepper must be ABSOLUTELY whole so that there are no leaks. Otherwise, you will have to eat the pilaf accompanied by the fire brigade). Reduce the heat, achieve a slight, even boil, watching as the zirvak gains color right before your eyes.

After 30 minutes of low boiling of the zirvak, we taste it for salt and adjust it so that it tastes a little too salty. Then, using a slotted spoon, remove the seeds, garlic, and pepper onto a separate plate so that they do not interfere with us. We increase the temperature under the cauldron and carefully transfer the rice into it with a slotted spoon, from which the water has previously been drained.

First, we level the rice, ensuring uniform boiling of the zirvak along the entire circumference of the cauldron, if necessary (if the pilaf is cooked on the stove), turning the cauldron around the circumference.

That crucial moment comes when the pilaf slowly turns into a living organism. It is not advisable to mix rice with the other contents of the pilaf, but at the same time, in order to ensure the subsequent friability and running of the rice characteristic of pilaf, it should be very gently stroked with a slotted spoon, as if transferring its own electricity into the rice through it. It is better to start stroking from the edges.

Gradually, with concentric movements, we reach the middle and slowly follow back, while the rice intensively absorbs the protruding sauce. Often, to cook it more evenly, it is a good idea to collect the rice from the edges of the cauldron to the middle and back.

You can even make a kind of number one girl’s breasts out of rice and gently caress each “breast” with a slotted spoon as if the “breast” is real and the slotted spoon is your hand. It won't hurt the rice.

Attention, this is very important! As the zirvak decreases (absorbs by rice), it is necessary to consistently reduce the temperature under the cauldron to avoid burning of vegetables and meat. This should be done carefully so that, on the one hand, it does not completely “muffle” the process of absorption of zirvak by rice, and on the other, to prevent burning. In short, it will be necessary to choose some golden temperature “middle ground”.

Picking up the rice from the edges to the middle, we make a characteristic bulge and continue stroking it with a slotted spoon for at least a minute, without making sudden movements.

Another important moment comes - tasting the readiness of the rice. To test, take a few grains of rice, going a couple of centimeters deep into the rice layer. Ready rice, if you bite into it, should be elastic, but not hard inside. If you detect the slightest hardness, pour no more than a glass of hot water onto the surface of the rice, level the mound and reassemble the rice from the edge to the middle, giving the water the opportunity to fall inside. After this, dig a “hole” in the middle of the rice layer, carefully return the seeds, garlic and capsicum that were cooked in the zirvak, there, add one and a half to two teaspoons of cumin...

... and just as carefully we cover the whole thing with rice, returning the pilaf to its original spherical shape, not forgetting to stroke this shape thoroughly.

If pilaf is cooked on an electric stove, leave the temperature under the cauldron at its minimum. If on a gas stove, turn off the minimum heat 10 minutes after closing the lid. If it’s on a fire, we remove everything, even the smoldering coals, so that the pilaf comes exclusively from the internal heat of the hearth. And for at least 25 minutes we don’t touch anything and let the pilaf completely ripen. In the meantime, finely chop a couple of tomatoes, cut the onion into rings and wash the onion several times in cold water. Then add it to the tomatoes, lightly salt and pepper (red pepper only) and mix thoroughly (you can watch the video procedure for preparing this salad, which goes very well with pilaf).

Once the pilaf has reached readiness, open it, take out the pepper, garlic and seeds, putting them on a separate plate, and mix the pilaf itself thoroughly using a slotted spoon. Then we put it on a large plate in a heap, put the seeds, heads of garlic and pepper on top, and decorate the perimeter with a prepared salad of onions and tomatoes, as shown in the picture. That's all.

Nuances that you may not know

1. The container in which you are going to cook pilaf must be heated very well before pouring oil into it. Good heating protects against such unpleasant things as burning of meat or vegetables after the rice is put on hold. Of course, when cooking rice, you must adhere to the temperature specified in the recipe. To be honest, the relationship between well-heated dishes and the fact that vegetables do not burn in the future is not entirely clear to me. But it exists and, of course, it was not invented by me.

2. When pilaf is cooked on an electric or gas stove, it happens that the rice cooks unevenly. This is also a very unpleasant thing for a ready-made dish. To prevent this from happening, the rice must be stirred from time to time (at the stage when the zirvak boils away), but stir very carefully, trying not to “raise” the meat and vegetables to the surface. The mixing algorithm is approximately this: first, the surface of the rice needs to be leveled, then, using a slotted spoon as a spatula, as if scooping the rice from the edges of the dish to the middle (in a circle), leveled again and after a while repeat the operation. And so - at least three or four times. If bones are involved in the preparation of pilaf, it is better to remove them before adding rice and return them to the pilaf before placing the rice on the stand.

3. Before you put the rice on hold (that is, cover it tightly with a lid or suitable container), you need to make sure that the moisture has completely evaporated. This check is best done before the rice is mounded. To do this, maintaining a temperature under the dish that can create a boil, but excludes burning, you need to make several holes in the layer of rice with a stick or the handle of a wooden spoon, all the way to the bottom of the dish, so that liquid collects in the holes. If it is transparent, it means that it is fat without any remaining moisture and the rice can be collected in a mound and placed on the stand. If the liquid is cloudy, it means there is still moisture in the fat and it needs to be evaporated. Excess and even the presence of moisture in rice, which has practically cooked and become elastic, during the process of soaking the rice, let’s say, “digest” it and disrupt the overall consistency of the future pilaf. I repeat, excess moisture should be removed only if the rice is almost cooked.

4. Often, errors in the proportions of oil (fats) in relation to other products when preparing pilaf lead to the fact that the pilaf is either “dry” or extremely fatty. It is very difficult to “calculate” the exact amount of fat with insufficient experience, especially when you consider that different varieties of rice have different coefficients of moisture and fat absorption. Therefore, I advise, especially if durum rice varieties are used, to add fat a little more than the basic values, since excess fat can always be removed during the cooking process, but its deficiency is almost impossible to compensate. A more or less clear “picture” of the optimal ratio of fat to other products is given by the final stage of preparing pilaf - the stage of preparing rice for cooking. To do this, you need to level the surface of the rice and make sure that the surface is dry and free of fat. Then, in the very middle of the surface, use a tablespoon to make a hole - about a centimeter to one and a half centimeters deep. If the bottom of the hole is slightly filled with fat, the optimal amount of oil has been chosen; if there is no fat, the pilaf will turn out “dry” and this error will need to be taken into account for the future. If there is clearly too much fat and it comes to the surface of the rice layer, you should arm yourself with a ladle and, pushing the rice layer in the middle, try to grab the excess fat with the ladle and remove it.

BY THE WAY

“Yesterday’s” pilaf can be made “today’s”

Well-cooked pilaf in itself is not bad even the next day - after heating. And yet he is a little “not the same” as the day before. Recently I was able to spot a method that seems to return yesterday’s pilaf to its original taste and aroma. I liked this method and already applied it to my “yesterday’s pilaf”. Try it if you have a chance.

They do it this way (per serving). First, half the middle onion head is finely crumbled.

The part of the pilaf that needs to be heated is transferred to a frying pan, the onion is mixed with the pilaf and the dish is heated over high heat for several minutes (with gentle stirring). Then the temperature is reduced to a minimum, the dishes are tightly covered with a lid and left for 15 minutes.

The second half of the onion can be used for a small salad with tomatoes. That's the whole method.

MORE BY THE WAY
About pilaf mythology, or about harmful and funny stereotypes that have arisen around the preparation of pilaf

In the early eighties, my student newspaper practice took place mainly where I grew up - in the Fergana Valley. This was convenient for me for a number of reasons. Firstly, at the very least, I came home from Moscow. Secondly, the then editor of Andijanskaya Pravda, where I was “seconded,” was a good friend of my father, and in a sense, I had a free man. Thirdly, (why freeman was important to me) I specialized in ethnology, ethnopolitical science and interethnic relations, and, therefore, I was allowed to work on my chosen topic, practically without involvement in the editorial turnover, with trips to regions that went beyond the influence regional party newspaper, and so on and so forth.

Why am I talking about this? And besides, in those years (maybe it still exists, I don’t know) competitions of pilaf cooks (oshpoz) were very common, in which, due to my specialization at that time, I simply could not help but participate. This action usually took place either in recreation areas or in large teahouses - where special hearths were equipped with 8-10 boilers, located in a circle under one roof with a central chimney. Each of the 8-10 oshpoz, of course, created a Fergana version of pilaf (devzira-palov, kavurma-palov, etc. - there are a lot of local names), the prepared dishes were brought to the guests, and they appreciated them - accompanied by jokes, jokes and vodka, of course , – quality of prepared pilaf.

And again - why am I talking about this? And besides, I know about pilaf not from books or from someone’s words, and not even from observing the real masters of this craft directly in the Fergana Valley, participating in oshpoz competitions and even once taking one of the prize places. I know about pilaf, knowing the realities of the historical homeland of pilaf. And, knowing the realities, I can well talk about the many myths bordering on shamanism that have arisen around the preparation of this dish. Shamanism and myths are not as harmless as they might seem at first glance. Not only do they produce mediocre recipes for very mediocre pilaf, which are perceived by the inexperienced public as basic. Mythology simply hits the hands of many and instead of pilaf, pathetic parodies of pilaf appear on their holiday tables, after which they simply don’t want to take on the task of preparing this dish.
Let's look at these myths, and, having sorted them out, let's forget about their existence.

The first myth is that proper pilaf can only be prepared in a cauldron, and only a cast iron one, for which you need to play tricks with this very cauldron accordingly. Otherwise, as they say, there will be no luck.

It would be foolish to expect from the authors of books dedicated to pilaf in particular and Uzbek cuisine in general that they will offer to cook pilaf in any utensil that comes to hand. Yes, a cauldron, especially a cast iron one, is the most optimal and most convenient “container” for preparing pilaf, especially if the pilaf is cooked over a fire and the cauldron is installed correctly. Optimal, but by no means resolving the issue of the “correctness” of pilaf, much less resolving the issue of choosing dishes. For anyone who cooks pilaf regularly (once or twice a month, because pilaf from being healthy can easily turn into a dish that is the opposite of healthy), and at a fire, there is a reason to get a cauldron - either cast iron or duralumin (there is a difference between them, but not so mythologically monstrous). But what should someone do who does this much less often, on major holidays, and not on a fire, but, say, on an electric stove and does not want to have a heavy 8-liter container on the kitchen shelf? Or goes to someone to “make pilaf”, but there is no cauldron there? Dry the oars? After all, proper pilaf can only be cooked in a cauldron?

As an argument, I could give my own example of cooking more than proper pilaf in an ordinary (admittedly steel) pan, and my homemade aluminum cauldron with a wide flat bottom and almost vertical walls (I have an electric stove) is more of a pan than a cauldron. But this argument, of course, will not work. Therefore, let's see: what, in fact, can prevent the preparation of good pilaf not in a cauldron.

The main technological stages of preparing pilaf are, of course, known to everyone. This is a) frying seeds, meat, onions and carrots, b) forming a zirvak (sauce) and then stewing the roast in it, and c) boiling rice in a zirvak and finally cooking it under dam (steam), which is also called boiling the rice and which is described in quite detail by the classics of cooking. All these stages can be easily combined either in one vessel (steel pan, thin or thick, in a wok and in another suitable container) or separated by frying in a large frying pan and continuing all other steps in a steel pan.

Of course, using non-traditional utensils for pilaf will require more careful control of the temperature (we are not talking about the fire method of cooking pilaf in a saucepan) and other manipulations with both the equipment and the stove. But we assume that the “gasket” between the slotted spoon (kapgir) and the dishes is a fully accomplished cook. Because, I’m afraid, even a five-star cast iron cauldron won’t help a poor cook. Thus, the statement that good pilaf can only be prepared in a cast iron cauldron is a myth.

The second myth, which says that real and correct pilaf is made exclusively with fat tail fat.

This myth most likely “grew” from ignorance of the true Uzbek realities, which, alas, developed during the years of Soviet power (as a Marxist I sprinkle ashes on my head) - there is no need to go deeper into earlier periods. Paradoxical as it may seem, in Uzbekistan it was sometimes easier (and cheaper) to buy fat tail fat than cottonseed oil, which, by the way, is of lousy quality. For the kishlak people, vegetable oil (cotton oil, there were no others) was sometimes considered a luxury, especially since not every general store had it. But lard - fresh or melted - was much more accessible.

I’m not saying that this was a universal phenomenon, although once upon a time people went to Moscow to buy sausage – for some reason it was not available in the periphery. But the fact took place. And pilaf cooked in pure fat tail fat was very common. But it was widespread not because fat-tailed pilaf is correct and the best, but because sometimes there was no choice (I won’t go into the exoticism associated with zigirög (specially prepared linseed oil) for now).

From personal feelings from pilaf cooked in pure fat tail fat. It freezes almost before our eyes, although there is more than forty degrees of heat around and no degrees inside (well, maybe two or three bowls). It's hard on the stomach. It (sorry) guarantees a not-so-pleasant burp the entire next day. “Fat tail is worse than fatty meat; it is poorly digested” - This is Abu Ali Ibn Sina (“Canon of Medical Science”, book two, p. 379.)

And I’ll end with a quote from a modern classic of piping - Karim Makhmudov (“Pilaf for every taste” according to the 1987 edition, p. 25): “An excess amount of fat can greatly hinder the development of the wonderful bouquet of aroma of these products (meaning cumin, barberry and others, including seasonal components of pilaf - my note). In fatty pilaf you cannot properly feel the heat of capsicum and its unique aroma; the feeling of normal saltiness is also lost in it.”

Can you make pilaf with pure fat tail fat low-fat? Then I will come to you, if you allow me :) But seriously: the statement that proper pilaf is cooked only with pure fat tail fat is a myth.

Myth three, which says that before preparing pilaf, vegetable oil must be heated to a bluish haze and that for proper pilaf you need to use only cottonseed oil.

I have already mentioned cottonseed oil above. Anyone who has ever dealt with this oil will not let you lie: the worst vegetable oil in existence should have yet been invented. Even in a well-cleaned, refined and deodorized version, this oil feels like cotton – with a characteristic rancid taste, a bouquet of sour tones and undertones that only intensify after heating. Why in the historical homeland of pilaf almost all existing frying was carried out only on it, I think, is understandable: cotton is a local crop, so the oil from its seeds was and remains (even now) the most accessible, including in terms of availability and price. Largely “thanks to” the disgusting quality of this product, before preparing the pilaf it was heated up strongly - until the aforementioned bluish haze, in order to somehow soften the taste of the oil and make it less pronounced. Moreover, again, in order to remove unpleasant odors and tastes, the oil was flavored with animal fats or by frying onions in it.

These techniques, often associated exclusively with the correction of the taste of a particular oil, later migrated to the pilaf literature in the form of a mandatory technique when preparing pilaf, regardless of the oils and fats used. Well, the literature surrounding the pilaf has already given rise to further myth-making regarding the “blue haze” and cottonseed oil, without which the pilaf is “not real.”

I will not dwell on what happens to oils and fats after extreme heating, how their chemical composition changes and how dangerous this is to health - those interested in this question, I think, will find where to look for the answer. A sense of proportion is necessary in everything, and the oil should be heated only to values ​​that ensure the initial intensive frying of the products, but not to a “blue haze.” And secondly: if there is something to choose from existing refined and suitable for frying oils - be it sunflower, corn or olive - you should not fall into a falsely understood authenticity and rush in search of the worst option (and for such, cottonseed oil is already imported, and by no means non-cotton regions).

Thus, the statement that proper pilaf can be prepared only with cottonseed oil and that any oil for pilaf should be overheated is a myth, and a harmful myth.

Myth four: rice, after placing it in a zirvak and during subsequent cooking, should under no circumstances be mixed until the pilaf is fully cooked, especially with meat and vegetables. Otherwise, the rice will cook unevenly.

Not only the myth-makers, but also the classics of cooking speak about the undesirability of “pulling” rice after putting it in a zirvak, although, to be precise, the classics do not insist on this undesirability, while the myth-makers fiercely advocate the inviolability of rice (of course, they do not mean pilafs that are cooked separately or if the point of serving pilaf is to make it look like a layer cake).

One can understand the classics: in Uzbek cuisine there are dishes that are prepared similarly to pilaf (some types of mashkichiri, for example, or shavli), where mixing rice with other ingredients is not only desirable, but also mandatory. And nothing out of the ordinary happens with a dish in which rice is the main component. The rice cooks quite evenly and does not stick together (if this is provided for by the technology, as, for example, in crumbly mashkichiri). At what point, excuse me, could unwanted metamorphoses with rice occur in pilaf?

Any reasonable explanation for this can hardly be found among the myth-makers, who are blinded by the inviolability of the myth they themselves invented. It's a pity! Mainly, the technique that excludes mixing rice with zirvak is a tribute to tradition or, let’s say, culinary culture, which, of course, did not arise out of nowhere, but was largely dictated by the conditions for preparing pilaf. One of the main conditions in the context of the mentioned tradition is a special temperature regime, special because the pilaf is cooked over a fire and in a properly installed cauldron. Given these conditions, especially if they are created correctly, the rice really does not need any stirring.

The situation, however, changes dramatically if the pilaf is cooked on a gas or electric stove, and the cauldron is not only not adapted to this, but also experiences heat loss (we don’t even need to talk about the size of the cauldron and the large amount of pilaf). If the rice, at least partially stirring it, is not “helped” to reach the desired temperature and the uniformity of its cooking is not ensured, it will be partially cooked a priori, but partially it will remain half-raw. And no amount of reproach can bring him to condition. And if it does, then that part of the rice that has managed to cook may turn out to be overcooked.
Therefore, unconditional adherence to the myth-makers’ statements that in “proper pilaf” the rice is not stirred, can lead to the fact that the pilaf itself turns out to be conditionally edible, and the mood of your guests will be spoiled.

(Not everyone can be called classic)

Pilaf recipes

1 hour 30 minutes

105 kcal

5/5 (1)

My husband is a big fan of oriental cuisine. And my culinary experience before marriage was very modest. I had to learn a lot from my mother-in-law, since at first we lived together. It was she who revealed to me secrets of Uzbek pilaf, which amazed me with its simplicity and unique taste. The mother-in-law herself learned to cook from her grandmother, and carefully wrote down all the knowledge she gained in an old notebook. In it, among other culinary masterpieces, was found recipe for real Uzbek pilaf. T So, housewives, arm yourself with notepads and pens.

How to cook classic Uzbek pilaf - recipe with photos step by step

Kitchen appliances: stove, cutting board, knife, cauldron.

Ingredients

How to choose the right ingredients for pilaf

• Rice. For pilaf, it is best to use Devzira rice. But it is not available everywhere. An excellent replacement for it would be steamed rice, basmati or special for pilaf. The surface of the cereal should be ribbed, and the cereal itself should be free of any specific odor, GMOs or additives. Only long-grain rice is suitable for preparing pilaf.
• Meat. The ideal option is lamb (breast or back). But the experience of many housewives states that any meat will do and Uzbek pilaf will turn out just as tasty if you cook it with pork or beef according to the same recipe. It is worth considering that pork pilaf can turn out to be fattier and higher in calories, or leaner and drier. The main thing is that the meat is fresh and without a specific smell.
• Carrot. It is very important to choose good carrots for bright, juicy pilaf. Small, wrinkled, stale - will not work. Good carrots will release juice and give the dish a unique taste and beautiful color; bad carrots will ruin it. Believe my bitter experience. So, Uzbek lamb pilaf, below is the recipe with photos.

How to cook Uzbek pilaf at home

1. Prepare the vegetables. Peel the onions and carrots. Prepare the meat. If necessary, defrost everything in advance.
2. Prepare the cauldron.
   
   
   If there is none, any saucepan or deep frying pan will do, just be sure to have a thick bottom. Honored chefs claim that Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron over a fire is real pilaf, and the recipe is approximately the same in all cases.
3. Place the cauldron on the fire and let it warm up. When the cauldron is hot, pour half the oil into it.
   
   
4. While the oil is heating, chop the meat.
5. Cut the carrots into strips.
   
   
6. Place the meat in hot oil, stir gently and leave to fry.
   
   
7. While the meat is frying, cut the onion into thin half rings or as you like, just not very finely.
8. At this stage add 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. ground pepper. Stir the contents so that the onion is at the bottom and the meat is on top.
   
   
9. When the onions and meat turn golden, add water to completely cover the contents. When the water boils, reduce the heat, cover the cauldron with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes.
10. Add carrots and simmer for another 15 minutes.
    
    
11. Add all the spices except turmeric and salt. Cover with a lid and leave for a few minutes.
12. Pour the rice into the cauldron and smooth it out carefully.
    
    
    Add remaining salt and turmeric.
    
13. Add water to the two phalanges of the index finger (the length of the nail, of course, is not taken into account). I got it 4.5 cm. And cover the cauldron with a lid.
    
    
14. Peel the garlic from the top husk. Add lightly peeled heads of garlic to the cauldron, lightly pressing them into the rice and continue to simmer until the water evaporates.
    
    
15. When all the water has evaporated, reduce the heat to low, make punctures in the rice and continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
    
    
16. Carefully place the pilaf on a plate and serve.
    
    

Video recipe

How to cook is not easy pilaf, and Uzbek, his recipe, you can find out how to serve and traditional salads by viewing this video.

What to serve pilaf with

My family likes to eat pilaf with fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. Some add salted and pickled vegetables in addition, while others prefer not to overwhelm the taste of this delicious dish. In Uzbekistan, pilaf is traditionally served with radish salad with pomegranate seeds or onion and tomato salad Sachchik-Chuchuk.

To ensure that cooking pilaf takes you a minimum of time and you can do it simply, quickly and very tasty, take note of a few points:

1. Buy all products in advance. If you need to go to the market for meat, rice and seasonings, then the entire process of preparing pilaf will take much longer.
2. You can prepare and chop meat and vegetables right away, so you don’t have to be distracted from the cooking process later.
3. Grating carrots is much faster, but it is better to chop them. Grated carrots will change the taste of the dish, not for the better.
4. If the onion for pilaf is cut very finely, it can burn in hot oil and ruin the entire dish. The optimal cut is a quarter of a half ring.
5. If you really want oriental exoticism, then you can cook Uzbek pilaf with chickpeas. It is also called Fergana pilaf.

Important! If you have round rice at home for pilaf, it is better not to use it. It will make a delicious rice porridge, not the pilaf you want to cook.

For lovers of diet food, chicken pilaf is perfect; it contains much fewer calories.

There are many other options for preparing pilaf, for example. This recipe is a godsend for lovers of both tasty and healthy food.

If you are interested, write questions, comments, and send photos of prepared dishes. We housewives always have something to learn from each other.

It just so happens that delicacies are always prepared by men. According to legend, the first meal of meat and rice was served by the court physician of the Samanid emirs, Avicenna. To cure a high-ranking patient, he prepared a meal, calling it “royal pilaf.” Any meat dish in oriental cuisine is accompanied by a considerable amount of vegetables, so Uzbek pilaf recipes are replete with yellow or red carrots, onions and garlic.

The five most commonly used ingredients in recipes are:

The brighter and juicier the root vegetable is, the more nutritious and golden the rice will become. If you consider yourself a guru in cooking rice with meat in Uzbek style, try pampering those around you with green pilaf - bakhsh. Its secret lies in mixing different types of finely chopped meat, liver, fat tail fat and a large amount of herbs. Pay special attention to presentation. Whatever recipe you choose, remember - it is better to place the contents of the cauldron on a wide flat plate. Invite your guests to use pita bread instead of cutlery, and then not a single nuance of the oriental dish will be hidden from them.

Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron - we bring to your attention a classic recipe with photos. Oriental cuisine has given the world many delicious dishes, among which the aromatic and crumbly Uzbek pilaf occupies a worthy place. This dish of rice, vegetables and lamb has long been loved by our housewives, and it is difficult to find a family whose menu does not include this dish.

Of course, in city apartments it is quite difficult to observe all the nuances of preparing pilaf, and Uzbek chefs carefully guard the secret of its recipe. However, if you have a cast iron cauldron and the opportunity to travel out of town, you can easily try to make this amazingly tasty dish yourself. You can also cook pilaf in a cauldron at home; the pilaf will taste virtually no different.

Ingredients

To cook Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron, you will also need special products. These include:

Leg of lamb on the bone weighing approximately 1200 grams;

1 kg of carrots (preferably yellow Uzbek);

20 grams of dried barberry;

1 head of garlic;

1 kg of special rice for pilaf (can be replaced with rice for risotto);

10 grams of dried saffron and cumin;

400 ml vegetable oil.

Step-by-step recipe for preparing Uzbek pilaf

Step 1. Before you start cooking the pilaf, prepare the meat. To do this, cut the lamb flesh from the bone and divide it into small pieces. Place the bones with a small amount of meat on them in a separate bowl, place the lamb fillet in another container (as shown in the photo with the ingredients).

Cooks always put a lot of carrots in real Uzbek pilaf. Of course, it is advisable to purchase real yellow carrots, called “Uzbek”, for this dish, but if you fail, you will have to use the traditional orange vegetable.

Carrots for pilaf should be washed, peeled and then cut into large strips.

Step2. Also peel the onions and cut into large rings.

Step 4. Then add the onion and, stirring, fry the food until the onion rings turn brownish.

Step 5. Now place the lamb fillet cut into pieces into the cauldron.

Step 6. Stir the products and keep them on the fire for 15 minutes, and then add the chopped carrots to the cauldron.

Step 7. Stir the meat and vegetables again. Fill the contents of the cauldron with water so that it completely covers the food, and place a head of garlic in the middle. Salt the dish and simmer it over low heat for 40 minutes.

Step 8. It is better to buy rice for pilaf at the market; in extreme cases, you can replace it with products for making risotto. If you want to cook classic oriental pilaf, never use steamed rice - it will not absorb the required amount of moisture.

Before using, rice should also be prepared - soak it in salted water for 40 minutes. When zirvak (the so-called meat, onions and carrots cooked in a cauldron) is stewed, add seasonings to it.

Step 9. Stir the ingredients and place a layer of rice on top.

Keep the dish on the fire until the cereal is ready. Every 10-15 minutes, the rice needs to be stirred gently, while the zirvak should remain untouched, that is, you only need to stir the rice.

Step 10. When the rice becomes soft, turn off the heat, cover the cauldron with a lid and leave it for 10 minutes. Then mix all the products in a cauldron and serve the finished pilaf on the table.

See also delicious recipes for main dishes: classic Italian lasagna.

Classic Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron
Uzbek pilaf is always prepared in a cauldron, especially classic pilaf. In this case, a special type of carrot is used - yellow Uzbek, and a number of spices. Recipe with photo.

Source: www.classic-recipes.ru

Uzbek pilaf

Uzbek pilaf is crumbly, fatty, with meat, carrots, onions, aromatic spices and a whole head of garlic. Everyone tries to cook, but they admit that people from the east make pilaf better.

Maybe there is some secret recipe for pilaf, which is known only in the east, which is passed down from father to son. And which they will never tell us? Maybe it's the seasoning? Or is it the wrong meat and rice? Or is it about the dishes, the famous cauldron?

I think a little bit of everything. Most often, people from Uzbekistan simply forget to clarify a few small details, without which the pilaf does not turn out so tasty. Below I will describe what I noticed. And perhaps you can suggest points that I missed. Then we will prepare delicious pilaf!

1. If you have fat tail fat, then we cook with it. Of course, fat tail fat must first be melted in a cauldron. If you don’t have it, then cook with vegetable oil (ideally with grape seed oil).
2. Rice should be taken with low starch content. The color of this rice is not white, but transparent. It needs to be soaked in advance for a couple of hours and then rinsed well. If you are lazy and want pilaf, then take steamed rice. But I personally don’t recommend it: the more industrially processed a product is, the lower its nutritional value. And even harmful. Fast, simple, but not healthy carbohydrates, you know.
3. Cut the meat into good pieces, 4-5 centimeter sides each. And fry at high temperature - this way it will be juicy, as it will be “sealed”. If you have a small cauldron with a thick bottom, then fry one or two pieces at a time.
4. Chop the onion coarsely, otherwise it may burn. If you put the onions in the cauldron first and then the meat, you can burn the onions. It's better the other way around.
5. We cut the carrots into fairly large strips, because grated carrots will either burn or boil into mush. We don't need this at all.
6. Carrots and meat are not mixed in a cauldron, because it will burn, and because it is tradition (and tradition is because it can burn). If you really want to stir, then first let the carrots simmer on top of the meat for about 10 minutes, and then you can stir.
7. You can use different seasonings for pilaf. The classic set is salt, pepper, curry, cumin (jeera), black barberry and turmeric. If you don’t want to bother, buy a ready-made mixture at the market (just ask what it’s made of, if you have half of the above ingredients, take it).
8. Zirvak, this magical primary boiling mixture of meat, spices, vegetables, a semi-finished product that precedes real pilaf, should not boil too much, otherwise the broth will be cloudy, and rice does not absorb cloudy broth well.

Uzbek pilaf
Uzbek pilaf is crumbly, fatty, with meat, carrots, and onions. Recipe for Uzbek pilaf with aromatic spices.

Source: kapagatavot.lv

THE MASTER'S WORK IS AFRAID!

How to cook real Uzbek (Fergana) pilaf

Some will go to nature, others to the country. Many people wonder what to cook? I present to your attention a recipe for making pilaf, which, I think, will not leave anyone indifferent!

This recipe was saved on the computer a long time ago, I can’t indicate the source, because... this site no longer exists. Perhaps the author will see his creation on the chips, so I thank him in advance! Almost the entire text of the preparation is from the author of the recipe.

So. We cut the meat into medium-sized cubes (approximately 3x3 cm, I saw such a description somewhere on the Internet). We simply separate the ribs. Do not wash the meat! The maximum that can be done is to wipe it with a dry cloth (if there really is any debris).
Cut the carrots into strips about 0.5-1 cm thick. You will see in the photos. We just cut it, no grater, no combines. It’s tedious, your hands get tired - but it’s necessary.
Cut the onion into rings, leaving one small onion untouched.
Rice - rinse thoroughly. It’s better to use clean, good water, although I also wash with regular running water. Wash until the water starts to run clear. Wash it with warm water, and when you’re done, don’t leave it to dry, immediately fill it to the top again and add a little salt, just a little.
Kazan. This time I cooked outside and took a normal, semicircular, outdoor cauldron. At the hunting and fishing store “Bear” I bought a tripod for him and lit a fire. At home, it is best, of course, to cook on an ancient stove where the fire on one of the burners is simply blazing. In the absence of it, we are content with what we have.
You also need a slotted spoon with a hard, durable, inflexible handle, otherwise you will be tortured by stirring the meat.

Beauty. While the cauldron is heating up, you need to get a high temperature.
Let's start. Having heated the cauldron, pour in oil, heat it up better and throw in that very small onion. For what? It's simple, it will absorb everything unnecessary from the oil.

Fry the onion until brown and remove from the oil. Then after that I threw in the lamb fat (but if you don’t have it, just omit this item).

I pulled the fried fat out of the cauldron, the aroma of fried lamb was already in the air, the neighbors stuck their noses out into the street in the hope of finding out what was happening in the area.

Now you need to quickly fry the ribs, the temperature will allow you to do this in less than 5 minutes. Throw them into hot oil.

And, after frying lightly, put it on a plate. This is what happens.

Now let's wait a little for the moisture to leave the oil. It stops hissing and begins to emit blue smoke. It's time to throw in the onions.

Stir the onion, frying it until golden brown. One secret: the color of the future pilaf depends on the degree of roasting, but don’t overdo it, burnt crusts are of no use. The onions have given up most of their moisture and are sizzling less – it’s time to put the meat in the cauldron!

You need to try to make sure that the meat is fried and not stewed. For this, maximum temperature and moderate stirring are important. In my case, the meat, due to its quantity, managed to give up a lot of juice and still stewed for some time.

Do not forget to maintain a good, maximum temperature and when the meat has already browned and acquired a reddish tint, it’s time to add the carrots. Can you imagine the smell already around the cauldron? Onions and lamb simply permeated the air in the area.

We carefully place the carrots on top and do nothing for a couple of minutes, let them breathe in steam and soften a little.

Then we begin to mix gently.

We continue stirring for probably 15-20 minutes; the carrots need to be fried too, and the main sign that this has happened is that the familiar smell of pilaf begins to emanate from the mixture!
At this point, add a handful of cumin to the mixture, rubbing it with your palms a little - it will give off more aroma. There is also barberry (also about a handful). (I, of course, threw a little more).

Well, now it's time to add water. Boiling water. Pour it all over, salt the resulting mixture so that it tastes a little too salty. Now we put our ribs here, add garlic and, if the pepper is old and dry, you can put that too.
The resulting mixture is called zirvak. It's time to reduce the heat so that our zirvak simmers slightly and leave it like that for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, add the pepper, prepare boiling water, rice and turn the fire on full! Here you generally need to squeeze out the maximum.

The most crucial moment is laying the rice. Fire is powerful! It is important.

And pour water on top. Not much, about a phalanx and a half (a strange unit of measurement). This is how I poured it - through a slotted spoon, carefully.

Very high temperature, strong fire causes the liquid to quickly begin to boil. Intense boiling raises the oil from the bottom of the cauldron to the top and, falling back, it envelops every grain of rice.

I gently stroke the rice with a slotted spoon, distributing it and leveling it. At the same time, do not try to bite into the lower layers!

The water, of course, quickly boils away and a moment comes when the rice no longer crunches in your teeth, and the water boils somewhere below.

This point is very important. There may be times when you need to add a little water. Try not to overdo it.

But I'm fine here. You need to reduce the heat to the very minimum and close the cauldron with a lid, and tightly. Before this, I also sprinkled raisins on top of the rice (not for everyone), it won’t hurt.
After 20-25 minutes you can remove from heat and open. Admire!

Now you need to mix it all. During the process, I place the garlic, pepper, and ribs on a separate plate.

My own master

Source: sam.mirtesen.ru

Pilaf in Uzbek style

Prescription yield:

Origin:
Uzbek cuisine

It is believed that the most delicious Uzbek pilaf is prepared in the Fergana Valley, because local devzir rice is used in the pilaf recipe.

Ingredients of Uzbek pilaf

• Lamb – 1 kg
• Lamb bones – 200 g
• Rice – 1 kg
• Carrots – 1 kg
• Onions – 3 pcs.
• Garlic – 1-2 heads
• Lamb fat – 300 g
• Vegetable oil – 100 ml
• Zira – 1.5 tsp.
• Paprika – 2 tsp.

Uzbek pilaf recipe

For cooking Uzbek pilaf recipe The rice must be rinsed 6-7 times with cold water, and then filled with warm water and salt. Set aside the rice for Uzbek pilaf to swell for 3 hours. Heat the oil in a cauldron and fry the lamb fat until golden brown. After the fat turns golden brown, transfer it to a plate using a slotted spoon, and put the bones in the cauldron. Fry the lamb bones until brown and also place on a plate. Pour the onion, cut into half rings, into a cauldron and fry until rich golden brown, stirring occasionally. Cut the meat into pieces approximately 3 cm in size. Add the meat to the onion and fry until golden brown. Chop the carrots into thin strips, place in a cauldron and fry until the color darkens. Then pour water into the cauldron 2 cm above the contents. Add spices to the Uzbek pilaf and bring everything to a boil. When the liquid boils, add the fried bones and unpeeled garlic. Simmer Uzbek pilaf over low heat for 40-60 minutes. Pour water from the rice and place in a cauldron in an even layer on top of the meat. Carefully pour in hot water, it should barely reach the top grains of rice, and add salt. Cover the Uzbek-style pilaf with a lid and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Then immerse the garlic in the rice. Using a stick, you need to pierce the Uzbek pilaf to the very bottom of the cauldron and, if necessary, pour hot water into the holes. Cover the Uzbek-style pilaf with a lid and cook for another 15-20 minutes. Transfer the finished Uzbek pilaf to the prepared dish and serve hot to the table.

Pilaf in Uzbek style
Uzbek pilaf is prepared from lamb, sometimes from beef, and sometimes Uzbek pilaf is prepared with the addition of dried fruits.

Source: kashewar.com

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Let's take it and do it.

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Secrets of delicious pilaf

or how to cook pilaf correctly

There are thousands of recipes for preparing pilaf, but its distinctive feature is the combination of two components: the so-called zirvak(in Central Asian cuisine a mixture of meat, carrots and onions) or gara(in Azerbaijani cuisine) and cereal part. In turn, zirvak is combined from various components, such as meat, fish, game, vegetables, dried fruits and spices.

The main difference between pilaf and other dishes is not the composition of the products, but the cooking technology; in addition, unlike porridge, the cereal part is not boiled, but stewed.

• How to cook pilaf correctly. Secrets.
• Step-by-step recipe for Uzbek pilaf in a cauldron with photos
• Step-by-step recipe for Shah-pilaf in Azerbaijani style with photos

There are two main options for preparing pilaf, and it should be noted that, given the general principles of preparation, pilaf prepared in different versions can differ significantly in taste, especially taking into account the serving rules.

Central Asian version.

In the Central Asian version, pilaf is usually prepared in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and southern Kyrgyzstan. This pilaf has a lot of regional variations, but the dish is not fundamentally different. All differences come down to the proportions of meat, vegetables and grain parts, as well as additional components (chickpeas, garlic, barberry, quince, dried apricots, raisins).

The most important components of the technology are the choice of products for pilaf, in particular carrots, the choice of rice variety and its preliminary preparation, and the correct choice of cookware for cooking is also of great importance:

1. Carrots need to be cut into long thin strips. Don't be afraid to go overboard with the length; the longer the straw, the better.
2. It is best to add some of the salt and spices in the middle of cooking zirvak.
3. Rice is the most important ingredient. You should buy harder varieties; in our stores there is always a long-grain steamed variety of basmati, it is well suited for making pilaf. Rinse it thoroughly until the water runs clear.
4. The best cookware for pilaf is a thick-walled cast iron, aluminum or copper cauldron; if you don’t have one, you can use a thick cast-iron pan or a deep, thick-walled frying pan. In any version - with a tight-fitting lid.
5. A prerequisite for preparing pilaf is preliminary calcination of the oil - the optimal choice would be a mixture of vegetable (sunflower, sesame, cottonseed, etc.) oil and animal fat (lamb fat tail, goat fat).
6. The sequence of bookmarking and the duration of processing specified in the recipe are important.
7. As much as you'd like to open the lid and peek, don't do it unless the recipe instructs. And under no circumstances mix meat with rice in a pan during cooking, only before serving!
8. And under no circumstances mix meat with rice during cooking, only before serving!
9. If you are not in a hurry, leave the pan of pilaf with the lid closed for 30 minutes - it will become even tastier.

Traditionally, Central Asian pilaf is served hot on a large common platter (in Uzbek - lyagan or tobacco - in Kyrgyz), washed down with tea, and snacked on flatbreads and vegetable salads.

An Uzbek proverb says: “A poor man eats pilaf, a rich man eats only pilaf.” Sometimes it is presented in the exact opposite version: “A rich man eats pilaf, a poor man eats only pilaf,” which seems incorrect. Firstly, earlier in poor families, pilaf was indeed an exclusively festive and expensive dish, and the saying precisely emphasizes the excellent taste of pilaf - in the minds of the peasants, a rich person can afford this dish every day.

Step-by-step preparation of Uzbek pilaf with lamb.

Have taken…

• Lamb or beef - 1 kg
• Steamed long grain rice - 1 kg
• Onions - 2 pcs.
• Carrots - 2 pcs.
• Apples - 2 pcs.
• Dark raisins - 150 - 200 g
• Garlic - 2 pcs.
• Chili pepper - optional
• Spice mixture - to taste
• Lamb fat - for frying
• Salt - to taste

Ingredients of spices for Uzbek pilaf: barberry, turmeric, cumin, ground black pepper, coriander, saffron, ground paprika. You can buy ready-made seasoning for pilaf.

1. It is better to buy melted fat, or you can melt it yourself. To do this, split the cauldron and put finely chopped washed lamb fat into it and simmer over low heat, then add vegetable oil, and remove the remaining cracklings from the cauldron.
2. Place onions, cut into thin half rings, into a cauldron and fry them until golden brown.
3. Next, add the meat cut into large cubes and carrots cut into thin long strips (you can grate them on a Korean carrot grater).
4. Thoroughly fry the contents of the cauldron and add chili peppers cut lengthwise into 2 parts, a teaspoon of spices and a little salt, mix.
5. Fill the zirvak with a small amount of hot water and simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes, depending on the quality of the meat.
6. Meanwhile, wash the rice until the water runs clear and dry it in the oven, stirring occasionally, so it doesn’t burn. Wash the garlic, apples and raisins. We cut the apples in half; if they are from the garden, we do not peel off the skin. There is no need to peel the garlic; we leave it in its peel and do not divide it into cloves.
7. Pour the rice into the cauldron, make 6 deep holes with a spoon and put the apple halves and garlic in them. We dig in well. Sprinkle with raisins, spices and salt.
8. Pour boiling water over the entire contents of the cauldron very carefully so that the apples do not start to float. The water should cover the rice to the thickness of two fingers, which is approximately 3 cm.
9. Bring to a boil over high heat. Next, switch to low, close the lid tightly and cook for 20 minutes. The lid cannot be opened.
10. After the time has passed, open the cauldron and check whether all the water has been absorbed. If the rice is cooked, stir the pilaf, close the lid and leave to steep for 30 minutes.

Uzbek style pilaf is ready. Bon appetit.

Iranian version.

In the Iranian version, adopted in Azerbaijan and Turkey, the meat and cereal parts are prepared separately and combined on the plate. Samarkand and Turkmen fish pilaf (balekly yanakhly ash) are also prepared using separate technologies. This is probably a more ancient version of pilaf.

This type of pilaf allows for a greater number of cooking options and the use of a greater number of possible ingredients. As for gar, it can be meat, fish, egg, fruit, vegetable. Any gara, as a rule, is prepared with fruits - plums, cherry plums, pomegranates. Rice, in turn, is boiled in one of four ways, including such an original method as bringing the rice to readiness on kazmag - a flatbread made of unleavened dough, which is used to line the bottom of the dish. Rice is always boiled in the presence of fats: usually butter or ghee.

The rules for preparing Iranian pilaf, in basic aspects, are similar to Uzbek ones, so you can use them.

Rice and gara are combined when served in a plate, but do not mix - moreover, they can be served on different dishes. In this version, it is customary to serve pilaf with spicy herbs (basil, tarragon, green onions) and kazmag, which is used to snack on the pilaf. This pilaf is washed down with sour sorbet. Unlike Central Asian pilaf, this pilaf is served not hot, but slightly warm, so that the oil does not harden.

Step-by-step preparation of Azerbaijani Shah pilaf with dried fruits.

Shah pilaf with chicken (in lavash).

Shah pilaf (royal pilaf) is prepared on special occasions, in particular for weddings. Of course, there are a lot of recipes for this pilaf; each region of the country has its own nuances and subtleties. You can use lamb, beef or chicken; those who wish can even use pork to prepare this pilaf.

Have taken…

• Chicken drumsticks - 800 g
• Steamed long grain rice - 700 g
• Thin pita bread (rectangular sheets) - 3 - 4 pcs.
• Butter (ghee) - 200 g
• Onions - 2 - 3 pcs.
• Garlic - 5 cloves
• Dried apricots - 150 g
• Dark raisins - 100 g
• Prunes - 150 g
• Cashew nuts - 150 g
• Dried cranberries - 100 g
• Vegetable oil - for frying
• Spice mixture - to taste
• Salt - to taste

1. Spice mixture: cumin, turmeric, coriander, saffron.
2. Take chicken drumsticks, separate the meat from the bones and cut into large cubes. The drumsticks were not chosen by chance; their meat turns out to be more juicy, unlike the breast (it is a bit dry for preparing pilaf).
3. Wash the rice until the water is clear. Then cook in salted water with 1/3 of the spices until half cooked, 8 - 10 minutes. Drain the boiling water and rinse the rice with cold water.
4. Cut dried apricots and pitted prunes into thick strips. Pour boiling water over all dried fruits.
5. Cut the onion into medium slices and fry in a thick frying pan in vegetable oil until transparent. Add meat, melted butter, finely chopped garlic and spices to the onion. Fry for 4 minutes. Then fill the contents of the frying pan with liquid from dried fruits, you will need about 300 ml, add salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat with the lid closed.
6. Add dried fruits to the meat and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring. Close the lid and set aside.
7. Cut the pita bread into long strips (the longer the better). It should be long enough to cover the height of the cauldron and still have some left over. Grease the lavash strips with melted butter on one side.
8. Grease the cauldron with melted butter and lay out the strips of lavash overlapping (oil side to the wall) in a circle, the edges of the lavash should hang down. You can put a thicker layer on the bottom to avoid burning. The walls and bottom should be completely covered with pita bread.
9. Mix rice, cashew nuts and meat with dried fruits, pour over melted butter, or lay out in layers, alternating rice and filling. You can put the meat in a ring around the edges and fill the middle with rice, it all depends on what kind of appearance you want to get when serving.
10. Cover the filling tightly with the hanging ends of the pita bread; if there are not enough of them, then add more pita bread on top. Generously grease the surface with melted butter and place in an oven preheated to 200 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes.
11. Ready Shah pilaf should be cooled slightly and immediately turned over onto a board or large dish so that the crust remains crispy. A properly cooked pilaf should have crumbly rice inside.

Serve hot with vegetables and herbs. Bon appetit!

Uzbek pilaf step by step recipe with photos
or how to cook delicious pilaf. Step-by-step recipe for cooking pilaf with photos. Detailed recipe for pilaf in Uzbek and Azerbaijani.