Name: Uzbek Plov
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Central Asian
Ingredients: 2 lbs lamb shoulder or beef chuck, cut into 2-inch chunks; 2 cups long-grain white rice (preferably devzira or basmati); 3 large carrots, cut into thick matchsticks (julienne); 2 large onions, thinly sliced into half-moons; 1 whole head of garlic, unpeeled, plus 4 cloves minced; 1/2 cup neutral oil or rendered fat (cottonseed oil traditional); 1 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1/2 tsp paprika; 2–3 dried red chilies (optional); Salt and black pepper; 2.5 cups hot water

The national dish of Uzbekistan: lamb or beef slow-cooked with carrots in a cauldron of spiced fat, then topped with rice that steams until each grain is perfumed and separate. Central Asia's most important meal.

The Cultural Story

There is a saying in Uzbekistan: there are as many recipes for plov as there are cooks. The Fergana Valley version differs from the Samarkand version which differs from the Tashkent version. Arguments about the correct carrot cut — julienne versus rough chop — have been ongoing for centuries. What unites every plov is the kazan: a heavy cast-iron or carbon-steel cauldron that holds extraordinary heat, the vessel in which the zirvak (the base of meat and carrots and onion and spice) is built before the rice goes in. Plov is cooked by men in Uzbekistan — it is traditionally a man's dish, made for weddings and funerals and Eid celebrations by appointed masters called oshpaz who cook for thousands at a time in open-fire cauldrons the size of bathtubs. Marco Polo reportedly ate plov in Central Asia in the 13th century. It traveled the Silk Road in every direction. The dish you make in your kitchen today is a version of something that has fed civilizations.

Ingredients

2 lbs lamb shoulder or beef chuck, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 cups long-grain white rice (preferably devzira or basmati)
3 large carrots, cut into thick matchsticks (julienne)
2 large onions, thinly sliced into half-moons
1 whole head of garlic, unpeeled, plus 4 cloves minced
1/2 cup neutral oil or rendered fat (cottonseed oil traditional)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp paprika
2–3 dried red chilies (optional)
Salt and black pepper
2.5 cups hot water

Instructions

1Soak rice in cold salted water for 30 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
2Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot (a Dutch oven works well) over high heat until shimmering-hot — almost smoking. This temperature is critical.
3Add onions. Do not stir for the first 2 minutes. Let them char slightly on the edges — this gives the plov its color. Stir and cook until deep golden, about 8 minutes total.
4Add meat in a single layer. Sear hard without stirring for 3–4 minutes, then turn. You want deep browning. Season with salt, pepper, cumin seeds, coriander, turmeric, and paprika.
5Add carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. The carrots will sweeten and shrink.
6Add hot water — it should just cover the meat and carrots. Nestle the whole head of garlic in the center, stem down. Add dried chilies if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes — this is the zirvak.
7Taste the zirvak. It should be well-seasoned — the rice will absorb a lot of salt.
8Spread the drained rice evenly over the zirvak in an even layer. Do not stir. Add boiling water to cover the rice by about 1cm. Bring to a vigorous boil.
9Once water level drops below the rice surface, reduce heat to lowest setting. Use a spoon handle to poke 5–6 holes through the rice to the bottom, allowing steam to escape. Place a clean kitchen towel under the lid to absorb moisture. Cook for 20–25 minutes.
10Open, remove the garlic head (serve it alongside — the roasted cloves are extraordinary squeezed over the rice). Gently fold the rice over the meat without breaking the grains. Serve mounded on a large platter.

Uzbek Plov

The Cultural Story

Ingredients

Instructions

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