Uzbek · Free recipe
Central Asian Plov
Lamb and heaps of carrot matchsticks sweat slowly in a heavy pot with cumin and whole heads of garlic, then rice steams on top without stirring. Everything turns glossy and fragrant, and the garlic cloves come out soft enough to spread on bread.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 40 min
- Total
- 2 hr 10 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Medium
Method
-
Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven or kazan over high heat until shimmering, then brown the lamb in two batches for 6 to 8 minutes, turning, until crusty on all sides.
-
Return all the lamb to the pot, add the onions, and cook for 8 minutes over medium-high heat until golden.
-
Lay the carrots on top and leave them for 3 minutes before stirring, then cook for another 10 minutes until they soften and turn bright orange from the oil.
-
Stir in the cumin, coriander, barberries, and 2 teaspoons of salt, pour in enough boiling water to just cover, and simmer uncovered on low for 40 minutes to make a rich, oily broth called zirvak.
-
Taste the broth; it should be noticeably salty. Spread the drained rice evenly over the top without stirring, then gently pour boiling water over a spoon until it sits 1/2 inch above the rice.
-
Cook over medium-high heat until the water drops below the rice surface, then push the garlic heads and chilies into the rice and poke several holes down to the bottom with a chopstick.
-
Mound the rice into a dome, cover tightly, and cook on the lowest heat for 25 minutes until the grains are tender and separate.
-
Remove the garlic and chilies, then gently fold the rice with the carrots and lamb and serve on a large platter with the garlic heads on top.
Zest note from the test kitchen
Cut the carrots into matchsticks by hand rather than grating them; thick strips hold their shape and sweetness through the long cook instead of melting away.
