Plov
Uzbekistan’s rice dish, cooked in a large pot (kazan) with lamb, yellow carrots, cumin and chickpeas. Its culture is part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, and men cook it for celebrations.
Ingredients
- 500 g medium-grain rice
- 800 g lamb (shoulder), in pieces
- 800 g carrots, cut into thick batons
- 2 onions
- 1 whole head of garlic
- 150 g cooked chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon of cumin seeds and 1 of coriander seeds
- 150 ml oil
- Salt and pepper
How to make it at home
- Heat the oil until very hot in a cast-iron pot and brown the meat. Add the sliced onion and brown it.
- Add the carrot and stir-fry for 10 minutes without stirring too much.
- Add the spices, salt and just enough water to cover. Simmer for 40 minutes (this is the zirvak).
- Add the chickpeas and spread the washed rice on top without mixing. Cover with water to 1 cm above the rice and put the head of garlic in the centre.
- Cook over a high heat until the water is absorbed, poke a few holes with a stick, cover and leave for 20 minutes over the lowest heat. Mix as you serve.
The trick: The rice isn’t stirred until the end: it steams on top of the meat.