Authentic Uzbek Pilaf

Main Dishes | Uzbek cuisine

⏳ Time

3 hours

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Authentic Uzbek Pilaf

Ingredients

Lamb - 2 lbs
Long-Grain Rice - 17.6 oz
Onion - 4 heads
Vegetable Oil - 10 fl oz
Garlic - 2 heads
Carrot - 2 lbs
Dried Chili Pepper - 2 pieces
Ground Cumin - 1 tablespoon
Coriander essential oil - 1 tablespoon
Salt - to taste
Dried Barberry - 1 tablespoon

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Rinse the rice until the last water runs clear. Peel the garlic heads but do not separate them into cloves. Peel 3 onions and a carrot; slice the onion into half rings and julienne the carrot.

Step 2

Heat the cauldron and add oil until it's very hot. In this oil, fry an unpeeled onion until it turns black. Remove it. Chop the remaining onion and sauté it, stirring, until it reaches a dark golden color; this will take just under 10 minutes. Add the diced lamb and fry until it develops a crust.

Step 3

Add the carrot and sauté without stirring for 3 minutes, then mix everything well and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in boiling water so that it covers all the contents of the pot by 1 cm. Add dried hot pepper, reduce the heat again, and simmer for an hour.

Step 4

Mix cumin and coriander, crushing them with your hands or in a mortar, but hands work best. Add barberry and combine everything with the meat. Add salt. Reduce the heat and cook until the carrots are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Step 5

Rinse the rice once more and let the water drain. Spread it over the meat and level it out. Increase the heat to maximum and pour boiling water into the pot, ensuring it covers the rice with a layer of about 3 centimeters.

Step 6

As soon as the rice absorbs the water, press the heads of garlic into the pot, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer until the rice is cooked. To check for doneness, use a slotted spoon: if the sound is dull when gently tapping the surface of the rice, make a few holes through the pilaf with a thin wooden skewer. Then cover with a lid, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, and let it sit for 30 minutes.